The Extras Make a Difference - Virtual Assistant Forums

#1 (**permalink**) 05-23-2009

I read a webworkerdaily blog titled "The Remote Wine and Dine: Keep Your Clients Happy With Extras".

http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/05/22...y-with-extras/

The point that I especially liked is the last point about Quirky Gifts. Keeping our ears and eyes open to what our clients and colleague say to provide that perfect opportunity to give them an unexpected gift. The example he gave was of a colleague sending Him a box of Apple Jacks because he had mentioned on twitter that Apple Jacks wasn't available to purchase in Canada.

When I read articles like this I get excited about launching my virtual assistant business - being able to form a working relationship with your clients and every once in a while an opportunity lands in your lap where you can show a small act of kindness. The opportunity might be the quirky gift or going above and beyond what your client expected for a task or project.

What unexpected thing have you done for your client that you just knew put a smile on their face.

Kemi

#2 (**permalink**) 05-23-2009

Kemi, great points! This is exactly the kind of thing we try to infuse into our own practice.

I post blog posts for a client a few times a week [she writes, I edit and publish] well this one post she wrote about a tiny handmade object she'd found at Etsy.com that she loved. When I was scheduling her post for later that week I checked the link she'd provided and there was only ONE of the items available, it was only about $10 so I bought it and had it sent to her. She actually received it the very day that blog post went up. Of course she was thrilled

Another client wrote in her blog about wanting a certain piece of technology - it was right before Christmas - so we bought it for her. She was also thrilled at the fact that we were so in tune with her as a person and a business owner.

It really is the little details that matter most to people - clients or otherwise

#3 (**permalink**) 05-23-2009

"It really is the little details that matter most to people - clients or otherwise."

So glad to hear you say that, Tess.

It's the crux of our business, isn't it? Because VAs take care of the details ... It drives me crazy how many leaders with no follow-up skills there are in the world. No matter how fabulous an idea, it's not good unless you do it, start to finish. That's the value of a VA.

Listening really closely to clients is another important skill for VAs, so we pick up on all levels of communications and we're skilled at getting to know people.

#4 (**permalink**) 05-24-2009

I wasn't a VA at the time, but my boss found out that a key contact in California LOVED cheese. We were in Wisconsin, so when we had finished the project, he had me pick up some cheese from a store about an hour away (we lived in the sticks, everything was far!) and overnight it to her. She was THRILLED! So much that whenever I passed through that town, I'd let her know and she'd call in an order for me to pick up and send to her.

I ended up moving overseas later, but kept in contact with her on occasion. I went back through there a couple years later for a wedding and let her know I could pick up cheese for her again. Her co-workers started calling me the "cheese lady"!