5 key questions to ask to determine the facts

There are five key questions that you must ask in order to identify the key facts in any situation. Those questions are;

1. What has been promised to the client? This requires you to go back to the contract and be very clear about what were the requirements and expectations set with the client at the time of signing it.

 2. What has been delivered? Now you know what was promised, has your company delivered the product, solution or services to the client as per the contract? Did you meet their expectations?

3. Is there a gap? If you haven’t delivered as per the contract, then it is straightforward where the gap lies, however if you have delivered, then you need to understand from the client’s point of view what is it they are upset about. What is their complaint? Where do they feel your company has fallen short?

4. What is the business impact? To properly assess the commercial implications of your client’s complaint, you must understand the impact that the problem has had on their business. This means standing in their shoes and seeing what went wrong. Not at a high level, but how it directly impacted the day to day running of their business and the flow on financial effects.

5. What is your/your company’s exposure or commercial risk? Once you understand the impact, this gives you their perspective. You must then consider to what extent your company may have contributed, or may have been responsible. The exposure or commercial risk to your company needs to be factored into your approach to resolving the situation.