What happens if a Virtual Assistant makes a mistake?

Yup – I’d ballsed it right up.

The client understandably immediately freaked out but had left it too long to ‘undo’ the action. I’m completely and utterly mortified but I told her I will fix it immediately.

(I was working in the cafe at the David Lloyd gym when this happened and my boyfriend at the time said I just stood up and loudly shouted “FUUUUUUCK!”. Apparently, some small children were rather startled.)

I spent the next three hours sorting it out by creating a new folder, moving nearly 10,000 emails from the bin into that folder and then re-filtering to get everything back where it was supposed to be with the right labels and in the right folders.

Although to be honest, I can barely remember what steps I took as I was so appalled by what I’d done.

But I fixed it, my client was extremely relieved and said the fact I attended to it so quickly was the most important thing.

My (now ex) boyfriend is a freelance programmer and he also hires contractors. He told me – when I had calmed down and stopped hyperventilating – that owning the problem is always the most important thing to a client – not that you messed up.

I’d never made a mistake like this before so I didn’t know this.

This is not the only mistake I’ve made in my freelance career either. I’ve messed up a few times – some mistakes were my own fault and some were misunderstandings because I hadn’t done my job properly and clarified the task with the client.

What happens when a Virtual Assistant makes a mistake?

You’re never going to be perfect and even the most experienced VA can still make a mistake. But when a Virtual Assistant makes a mistake, it’s what they do afterwards that matters.

Clients know you’re not perfect and, yes they might be annoyed at the time and you may even lose them, but unless you already have a shaky relationship, this is pretty unlikely.

They just want you to fix the error as quickly as you can.

You can’t turn back the clock, so it’s how you deal with your mistake that’s important.

Although you should always have insurance (this protects you from being sued or screwed if you really mess up), what may feel like a total disaster at the time usually isn’t that bad at all.

How to deal with the mistake

First, it’s vital that you own the mistake. Then what happens next depends on who spots the error first.

If the client spots the mistake first:

Before you rush to apologise, check that you really did make a mistake and that the client isn’t confused. Occasionally, the client is in error and they actually asked you to do the thing they think is incorrect.

This is why you should keep an email “paper trail” to refer back to and why it’s important to clarify the perimeters of each task before you start working on a project.

If it’s evident that you are the one who messed up, immediately apologise (without embarrassing yourself with copious excuses), and then fix the mistake free of charge.

There is a clause covering mistakes in my client contracts.

In the Freelancer Agreement I sell there is a Work Product Conformity clause that basically says that if the Client determines the work delivered does not conform to the outlined work specifications, they shall inform the Virtual Assistant, within 3 working days of delivery and the VA will fix it without extra charge.

If the Client does not voice concerns within 3 working days, the Virtual Assistant is not obligated to do any remedial work free of charge.

If the client’s request goes beyond the specifications they provided, the request will not be considered a remedial request and the Virtual Assistant will inform and bill the client with regards to the requested changes.

If you spot the mistake first:

If you realise that you’ve made an error then you either fix it then inform the client that you made a mistake but resolved it, or you inform the client of the mistake and ask how they would like you to proceed.

Generally, you just fix the mistake but sometimes, depending on the task and the mistake, you may need to defer to the client’s instructions instead.

Don’t over apologise or overcompensate

I’ve seen Virtual Assistants so mortified at making a mistake that they’d happily walk barefoot to Canterbury to be whipped by every monk of the priory in penance.

At the very least they consider ripping up that month’s invoice – which they most definitely should not do.

If you make a mistake and it’s covered by the 3 day Work Product Conformity clause in your contract then nothing else needs to be done. Just apologise, fix the mistake then move on with your dignity intact.

If you over apologise you’re in danger of damaging the dynamic of your relationship.

The client could start to see you as incompetent, a people-pleaser or as an underling instead of the professional business support service you are.

If 3 working days have passed then, even though your contract says you don’t need to fix the mistake free of charge, it’s usually the done thing to just fix it for free anyway.

Talk to your client

Your relationship with your clients is really important and any problems will be resolved faster and more easily if you pick up the phone and have a chat.

If you (or your client) is angry or upset, it’s far easier to say something you may later regret in an email than it is verbally.

Written messages are very easily misconstrued and if both parties are in a heightened state of stress, there is more scope for misunderstanding or for the situation to escalate if the issue is dealt with in writing.

You should have a pretty good relationship with your client anyway (and if you don’t then you should reconsider the client) so, while you may feel awkward and embarrassed, just call the client and sort it out.

It’s important to protect your relationship. A client will forgive a mistake but they will not forgive someone they have paid to do a job running away from a mistake. 

So even if you feel uncomfortable, you need to suck it up, pick up the phone and speak to your client.

Every Virtual Assistant makes a mistake at some point in their career

I’ve seen wannabe VAs in my Facebook group say they are anxious about setting up their own Virtual Assistant business because they’re scared they’re going to make a mistake.

Which is insane.

Show me a person who has never made a mistake in their life and I’ll show you… well, nobody because everyone makes mistakes.

Obviously, you’re going to try not to make a mistake, but they can and will happen.

However, you’re more likely to mess up if you don’t give your undivided attention to a task, you don’t properly read and understand client instructions, you take on work you don’t know how to do, and you assume you know what the client wants and fail to clarify the task before you rush headlong into it.

I can guarantee you’re going to make a mistake at some point in your Virtual Assistant career – but it’s not the mistake that matters, it’s how you deal with it that counts.