How to Fight Back on Scope Creep

Scope creep is not a good thing and it tends to run rampant in most client relationships. The question is what do we do when a client asks us to do something that we didn’t agree to do?

[0:45] If you’re working with exceptional clients, this shouldn’t happen that often, but when it does it’s actually a compliment. The client trusts you because you are their trusted advisor.

[1:20] Once it gets to the point where they are asking you consistently to do extra work, you have to bring awareness to the out-of-scope nature of the work. We want to let them know because 90% of the time, as long as you are working with quality people, they just don’t realize the issue.

[2:05] At a certain point you will get frustrated with the extra requests so before that happens, make the client aware that you are happy to include the work but you need to revisit your agreement.

[3:05] You should also send them an invoice for the task that you completed with the price for what it would have cost, but you should also give them a courtesy discount. You’re putting the fact into context that the requested work is outside the scope of the original engagement.

[4:00] It’s about open communication between you and your client, and so you’re not a doormat that’s being taken advantage of. If they are trying to pull one over on you and don’t want to pay for the work, then that’s a clown, not a client.

[4:25] Scope creep comes full circle with marketing in that the right marketing will filter out the clowns that you don’t want to work with.

[4:40] These are awkward conversations to have with a client but when you don’t communicate, that’s when you start to struggle. Not getting it out in the open will only lead to resentment.

[5:15] Don’t work with people that do not respect you. Bookkeeping is first and foremost a relationship business and in a healthy relationship there is respect. You need to be excited to serve them and they need to be excited about having you work with them.

[6:00] We want to help our clients, but we also want to make sure we’re being paid for our work.