Beware of the scope creeper. The scope creeper is someone who consistently asks for services outside of the scope of their contract and expects to get them for free. Now, I do not mind doing minor things and do them all of the time for clients, especially when it is quick and easy or some marketing advice; but the scope creeper takes this one step too far. It starts with one freebie then “creeps” turning into 10 million website changes to expecting a free logo coming with their website. I am really not sure the logic behind any of this, especially when things are clearly spelled out in a contract. The worst version of the scope creeper is the scope creeper without a scope … a.k.a. NO CONTRACT. I am not kidding here. I had someone attempt to put me through the ringer, not to mention my phone ringing nonstop and then asking me to call people I did not even know to help out with his project. I did double check my forehead to make sure I did not have “Assistant for Free” tattooed on it. Luckily, I am aware of these individuals and shut down the situation from the very beginning. My point? If you give certain people an inch, they will take a mile.
Business hour blunders. Now, for my friends and colleagues in other time zones … deep down I forgive you, because I am time zone challenged a majority of the time. I leave my phone on because I am a parent (and, maybe at some point I could read the instruction manual to my iPhone on how to turn off text alerts, but the idea bores me). Anyway, what I am talking about here, is respecting fellow colleague’s business hours. I do have clients that work full-time and an afterhours call is necessary and planned. What I am referring to is the after business hour space invasion – meaning texts all weekend, then Facebook messages, then cell phone & business line messages. P.S. – here is a thought, leave a message on one of the above and not all methods of contact for starters. Here is a second thought, if your crisis involves a website you have had for a year that is terrible, it is not suddenly an emergency that needs immediate attention Saturday morning at 6 a.m. This problem has been an emergency 12 whole months and can wait until Monday. Just some food for thought.
Blowing of media interviews. As a marketing professional and publicist, this is my biggest annoying blunder ever. I know what you are thinking. Why would someone completely blow off a media interview? On occasion it happens and emergencies do come up (and it better be in you are in a coma … publicist talking here, sorry). Luckily for me, this rarely happens. If you just blatantly blow something off, your publicist will look bad in the eyes of a producer that put time and energy to get you on the programming schedule. Your publicist has also put in at least one hour for a basic 3 – 5 minute television segment. My advice? Do not do this ever. If there is a media outlet you do not want, communicate that ahead of time. The bottom line is that your PR person will end up firing your A$$, before you even have had time to come up with “I have a cold.” (take Dayquill), “My dog is sick.” (go to a vet), “My Grandma is ill.” (Not that ill – you have been talking to her all morning on Facebook about your shopping outing), or whatever other lame excuse you come up with during the 11th hour.
