Your code isn't meeting client expectations. How do you turn dissatisfaction into success?

When my code doesn't meet client expectations, I first ask for detailed feedback to understand their concerns. I then look at the issues and figure out how to fix them. I tell the client what steps I’ll take to improve the code. I learn from their feedback, apply best practices, and ask for help from mentors or professors if needed. By being proactive, clear, and eager to improve my skills, I can turn dissatisfaction into success, making sure the final product meets or exceeds the client's expectations.

A common mistake is to ask the customer for his expected solution. But when you implement it, the customer is often negatively surprised. A better way is, to dig deeper into the subject in the first place. You need to fully understand the situation and the expected goals of the customer. Only the you can come up with a plan and a solution that meets the customers expectation.

Transforming client dissatisfaction into success begins with thoroughly understanding their feedback. Carefully listen to the client’s concerns and take detailed notes. Ask clarifying questions to uncover not just the symptoms of the issues but also the root causes. Avoid becoming defensive; instead, focus on seeing the situation from the client’s perspective. Use this feedback to make targeted improvements to the code. This approach ensures that the final product aligns with the client’s expectations and can turn a challenging situation into an opportunity for growth and enhanced client satisfaction.

Start by taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture of your codebase. Check for consistency with coding standards and whether it aligns with the initial project goals. Pay attention to the code's readability and structure, as these often influence how easily bugs can be identified and fixed. Leveraging automated code analysis tools can also provide an objective view of potential issues. A thorough assessment now can prevent recurring problems and improve overall code quality.

We found out, that communication is critial. You can have too less but also too much of it! You need communication to keep track, but each communication can also make you loose it, because customers come up with new ideas and alternations. It is your job to guide how and what you communicate to reach the goals most efficiently. Consider planning the communication phases, so that you use your and the customers time most efficiently. This takes a lot of disciplin to sharply keep track and stay focused!

The earlier you fix bugs the more effective you are. We see bugfixing with the rule of 10: - Finding a bug while you create the code is by far the cheapest way. - If the bug is found at the first testcycle, it ate up 10x the time. - If the bug is found by beta testers, it ate up 10x time of th first testcycle. - And it is most costly if your customer found a bug you have to fix. So make testing a priority in the first place!