Headache Web Dev Agencies Face

I know a lot of people from the Web Development side have this 1 problem.

They all suffer from Out-of-scope work...

Or clients coming to them for additional scope without paying anything extra.

Now the main reason why it happens is because of a lack of communication.

You might have a solid onboarding process in case.

You might even have a contract in place.

But you still are not communicating properly how you work.

And also, what can and can't be done during a project.

Here are 2 points you can keep in mind to avoid and deal with this problem:

1) Statement of Work (SOW)

Usually, the root of all problems lies in the agreed scope.

Sometimes, agencies take on a project after one or two calls without gaining better clarity over the project themselves.

The vague idea of the project provided by the client is agreed upon as a scope (which may not be communicated in writing).

If you don't have a clear and written SOW, it means you have no solid ground to stand on if things turn bad.

2) Don't Avoid Confrontations

Many times the agencies do not want to confront the client upon receiving "out-of-scope" work.

They fear losing the client.

However, they don't understand this is a normal point of negotiation.

If you allow such scope creep, it weakens your present and future negotiations and status.

So be professional.

Communicate with the client what they are asking for goes beyond what was agreed upon.

And show them where that says in writing.

Remember - the client has come to you to solve a problem.

And it's your duty to guide them the right way.

But that doesn't mean they get to walk all over you.

And that definitely doesn't mean they can keep asking for free stuff.

Next time you are in such a situation, make sure to communicate upfront about the out-of-scope work!

And have clauses that support this.

And in case you need help with drafting this clause, and also updating your Contract, you can pick a time here:

https://calendly.com/mtlegalteam/discovery-call-with-mtlegal-team

Talk to you soon.

-- Akhil Mishra