I had an experience the other day which made me realize (out loud) that long term client relationships are a lot like spousal relationships. After a while it seems they take each other for granted & the relationship needs a little jazzing up to re-ignite the flames.
I was hired to create & manage a very large-scale, complicated project & spearhead efforts ranging from Marketing to Operations. This means coordinating with many people to get this done. Most of the current vendors are professional, responsive & do the right thing. But (well, you knew that was coming) there's always one that spoils the bunch. This particular vendor doesn't return phone calls or emails either to me or from the client directly & seems completely resistant to the overall effort (which means more money for her, so I REALLY don't understand).
My revelation? This person has lots of competition & because of the long-term relationship she has with the client, is taking them for granted. The courtship is over. No more hand holding, no more long chats, no time for the old when you're chasing the new I suppose. What if a new, sexy vendor comes along & they hit it off? What if the client gets cold-called from a competitor & decides to try them out? What if client gets tired of waiting for the phone to ring?
The outcome will reveal itself soon but in the meantime, a word of advice from marriage counselors - communicate, treat each other well & always be willing to listen. It saves marriages & will save client relationships too.
