Working with others
Letting the client see how their work is going
Giving visibility cuts calls, but you must decide beforehand what is shown and what is not.
A considerable share of any service company's time goes on answering "how is mine going?". The answer exists, it is up to date, and the person asking cannot see it. Showing it costs little and removes those calls — provided you decide beforehand what is included and what is not.
The three levels, from least to most
| Level | What the client sees | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Their specific document | Only what they sign or supply, via their link | Always; nothing to administer |
| The status of their matter | What is missing, what was delivered and when | Long relationships: sites, cases, services |
| Access to their file | The documents, with read permission | When the client asks and there is trust |
Important
Level one covers most cases and almost nobody exploits it. A third party can view, supply and sign their own by following their link, with no account, no password and no user for you to manage. Anything resolved there is visibility that costs nothing in administration.
What to decide before opening it
- 1
What they will NOT see
Your costs, your internal notes and what others supplied. Write it down before opening, not after.
- 2
What each status means
"Pending" must mean the same to you and to them, or you will create more calls than you remove.
- 3
Who answers what they ask when they see something
Visibility creates new questions at first; they need a recipient.
- 4
And until when
When the work ends, access is withdrawn or left; both are valid, but decide.
Watch out
Beware showing status without showing who it depends on. If the client sees "pending" and cannot see that the pending item is theirs to supply, visibility turns against you: it will look as though you are the ones not moving. Status must always say whose turn it is.
What usually happens when you open it
That third effect is what pays for the rest: when someone sees what is missing on their side, they send it without being asked three times.
Worth knowing
Everything the client does from their access is recorded like yours: when they looked, what they supplied and when. It is useful precisely in relationships where who delayed what gets argued later.
›Do they have to register?
For their own, no: they enter by their link. For the full file, you grant access.
›Can they see what others supplied?
Only if you decide so; not by default.
›What if the client has several contacts?
One access each: that way the record says who saw what.
A real case
The situation
An advisory firm gets weekly calls from clients asking what is missing.
What you do
- Opens each case's status showing whose turn each item is
What you get
Calls fall after the first month and clients supply without being chased.
The situation
A client phones weekly to ask how their file is going and takes half an hour of the team's time.
What you do
- Gives them read access to their own file
- Limits the scope to what is theirs and what they should see
- Lets them see the status without being able to change anything
What you get
The weekly calls disappear and the client sees progress without anyone stopping to explain it.
The situation
The client sees internal documentation that was not theirs.
What you do
- Checks the scope before granting access
What you get
They see theirs and nothing more.
The situation
They get access and then ask about things they do not understand.
What you do
- Explains once what each status means
What you get
The autonomy is real from the start.
The situation
The project ends and their access stays active.
What you do
- Sets an expiry date when granting it
What you get
Access closes with the work.
The situation
The client sees a half-finished status and takes alarm.
What you do
- Shows only the statuses that mean something to them
What you get
Transparency does not create noise.
The situation
Several people from the client ask for access.
What you do
- Records them as participants with their scope
What you get
Each enters in their own name.
The situation
Nobody knows what the client has consulted.
What you do
- Checks the access log
What you get
Transparency runs both ways.
This article answers
- let the client check their case status
- giving client access without oversharing
- reducing follow-up calls
- client portal for documentation