You Can't Please Everyone—Even in Business

In the world of business, especially in service-driven industries, there’s an almost universal goal: client satisfaction. Outside of the federal government, what business does not have to put client satisfaction at the top? We build entire processes around it, we survey for it, we chase testimonials and repeat customers. But there’s a difficult truth that professionals eventually come to accept — no matter how hard you work, how thoughtful your team is, or how great the outcome, you will never make everyone happy. And that’s not a failure. In fact, it’s part of doing business well.

At its core, client satisfaction is about meeting or exceeding expectations. That sounds simple enough, but expectations can be unspoken, fluid, or even misaligned from the very beginning. One client may see the scope of work as flexible; another may expect a boutique experience on a tight budget. Some clients don’t even know what they truly want until a project is underway — and then they change direction midstream. Many clients may not read or fully understand proposals or agreements. Some are going to take past negative experiences and unfairly project them on you. Even with clearly defined contracts and proactive communication, the target can move.

Understanding that you cannot please everyone begins with acknowledging that satisfaction is subjective. Two clients may receive the same level of service and outcome but interpret the experience in completely different ways. Personality, background, pressure from other stakeholders, or even something entirely unrelated to the project can shape their perception of the engagement. It’s a tough reality: how someone feels about your work may not correlate at all with the quality of what you delivered.

That doesn’t mean striving for excellence is pointless — quite the opposite. The goal isn’t to abandon the pursuit of client satisfaction, but to reframe it. Instead of chasing universal approval, aim to consistently deliver what you promised, back it with integrity, and handle feedback — even the difficult kind — with professionalism. Clients don’t expect perfection as much as they expect honesty, effort, and communication. And when mistakes happen, it’s often your response that defines whether they walk away satisfied.

In my opinion, the key to healthy, scalable growth is to identify the kind of clients you’re best equipped to serve — and serve them extremely well. That may mean saying “no” more often, even to well-paying opportunities, in order to protect your team, your values, and your standards. For our companies, we want to do business with people that truly want to do business with us and see the value we bring to the table.

When a dissatisfied client appears — and eventually one will — it’s important to step back and assess the situation without emotion clouding the picture. Was your communication clear? Were expectations realistic on both sides? Was this the right client and the right project? Did the team perform the work as promised? If the answer to those questions is yes, then dissatisfaction may be more about the client’s expectations than your execution. That doesn't mean you ignore it, but it does mean you can release the burden of blame.

It's especially critical for leaders to be mindful about the impact this can have on your staff’s morale. Team members can take considerable pride in their work, and many go above and beyond to serve the client. They can feel crushed by harsh or unfair criticism. While it does not happen often, we work hard to protect our staff from unreasonable or untrustworthy people.

If your team is consistently delivering quality work, honoring commitments, and learning from every experience, then you’re already ahead. With over 1,000 projects completed in 25 years across 30 states, we have a strong track record with amazing testimonials and hundreds of repeat clients but even we are not going to win them all. I believe client satisfaction is still worth pursuing and should still be a top priority. But universal happiness? That’s a myth. Focus instead on delivering consistent value to the right clients — and let that be the measure of success.

Donnie Brawner, Partner Colligo Holdings
CEO/Owner, Paragon 360 & Paragon Fabrication

Originally Featured in Springfield Business Journal: You Can't Please Everyone—Even in Business