I am trying to force my clients to use the Basecamp project management software. I pay for it and set them up with the project login. The problem is when I have 4 projects going on and they are not using a project management system I get 30 emails per day. I can’t keep organized.
I make it very clear to my client the benefits of using Basecamp, but they all refuse and just keep sending email after email. How can I get them to send all project requests through this project management software? Should I put it in my contract? Just send a response template email saying requests must be made through basecamp until they get the hint?
“For fastest response, please use basecamp for all project related communication”
Then just respond to basecamp communications quickly and emails slowly. This isn’t up to your clients, and there doesn’t need to be a ‘hint’. Just start a consistent pattern of not responding to email requests for at least 24 hours, maybe 48, and responding to basecamp activity quickly.
Your problem will be solved, although some clients might balk at this. Those clients may not be able to be rehabilitated - but in reality they are self-identifying as crappy clients.
Welcome to your first step up on the client ladder! Good clients like process, bad clients like to bug you all day with urgent matters.
If I recall correctly, Basecamp has the ability to email a message to a specific email address and it will be integrated into Basecamp automatically. When working with a client, simply give them this unique email address for them to contact you instead of your regular email address. That way, every time they send you an email, it is being logged into Basecamp.
I can’t say it will eliminate it and you really can’t “force” clients to do anything, only try to nudge them in the right direction. If they don’t want to do it, they won’t. You’ll just have to adapt and hopefully weed out those clients and find the ones willing to follow your process.
Good luck!