If you think all it takes to keep a client happy is a straightforward implementation that tracks directly back to your proposal, you could be in for a surprise. The latest Enterprise IT Services Survey from Forrester Research shows that clients in North America and Europe are looking for more of … well … everything. In addition to not realizing all the advantages they’d hoped for, many would like to see more innovation from their IT services vendors.

According to the survey:

• 52 percent said that “cost savings are lower than expected”
• 40 percent are disappointed with service – “inconsistent or poor quality service”

But, this isn’t too unusual. In the IT professional services world, challenges associated with client expectations are among the risk factors to be managed. And, expectations around TCO reduction do fall victim to cut corners on scoping and resource estimation.

As you continue down the survey, the interesting data points appear. For many IT buyers, the biggest challenges were:

• A “lack of innovation and/or continuous service-level improvements” at 33 percent
• The “inability of vendor/contract to respond rapidly to changing business needs” at 35 percent

Your clients are looking for more out of their IT services relationships – perhaps more than they are even sharing with you. While it is easy to dismiss the situation as a function of client needs versus client willingness to allocate sufficient budget, that would mean missing a significant opportunity. So, think past stated expectations and try to understand the implicit drivers. This can help you increase client satisfaction considerably.

[Via Forrester Research]

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