Motivate customers to follow instruction

Why can't my customer follow instructions?

As a service/product provider, our responsibility is to ensure our customer follows proper instruction to achieve optimum results. However, it isn't easy when they have their interpretation of the collaboration. 

Here are a few types of customer who doesn't follow instructions with tips on how to motivate them;

1) The very busy - This customer is too busy to discuss with you and thus ignored your instructions and carried out otherwise.

Tips: You may try to motivate them by letting them know the collaboration work was poor and help them identify areas to improve. Show that you care about the work quality and you want them to do well. Help them find a solution to help you complete your work.

2) The demanding - This customer will show dominance in authority and knowledge. This person will insist that you should change your work curriculum instead of theirs.

Tips: You may try to explain your rationale for the work and explain it based on facts and findings. If need be, let the customer know that the work was based on a quotation, and any major changes will be chargeable. Also, you must not be held liable if you fully follow their proposed methods. All these should be detailed down and signed for.

3) The uncooperative - This customer will tend to find the least and easiest work to do. They will skip processes to ensure they can achieve their agenda. (Typically for employees of the customer)

Tips: You may try to identify to the customer the importance of following through critical processes. This includes explaining the negative effect of taking "short-cuts" that jeopardise the quality of work and safety (if there is).

4) The quiet - This customer may not know how to feedback, otherwise, do not wish to feedback.

Tips: You may try to provide a survey form online and have them fill it up (preferably without the surveyee's name). Otherwise, you may consider take time to build rapport and slowly identify feedbacks in a "non-serious" setting.

5) Not the right person - This customer does not have the right foundation to carried out the tasks specified by the instruction.

Tips: You may try to request the customer to attach you someone "fit" to collaborate. This means clearly stating the right kind of skills and knowledge foundation you need to work with.

When working on such collaboration, you should communicate your issues in a "non-offending" yet "objective" manner to effectively resolve your customer's problem. Having a good rapport is very important here!