Never miss an opportunity to talk to your customers

When things go better than expected, it's easy to talk to the customer and revel in your success.  But, when things go bad, we all have a natural tendency to shy away from contact, hoping the customer won't notice, and that we can fix it.  

Sometimes this works, and a hard conversation is avoided.  More often than not, this just makes the problem worse.

When the customer realizes there's an issue, they feel late to the party, they lose trust in your ability to handle things correctly, and they are left with a bitter taste in their mouth.

Chances are they noticed before you thought they would, and they complained to a colleague, friend, or spouse.  Would you rather your customers yell at you or about you?

Whether things are good, bad, or just okay, never miss an opportunity to talk to your customers, deliver the news, and include them in your process.  The outcome may surprise you.