A quick story. Related to the topic. I promise!
On May 20, I competed in the intermediate banjo and fiddle competitions at the 59th Annual Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival. No, I didn’t win, but participating was still fun!
I’ve been very eager to see my performance videos because it’s the only way I can really know how I played that day. So, yes! I bookmarked the YouTube channel. And, I’ve been checking it a few (or more) times a day just in case–you know–my videos might happen to have been added.
I’m pretty sure Genlighten clients feel that same sense of eager anticipation when they submit project requests. When will the provider respond? Will the provider be able to take on the project? How long will the research take? How’s the research going? When will the final report be delivered? Is it posted yet?
As providers (yes, I offer research services now and again), there are a few simple things we can do to make the wait as painless as possible for our clients:
- Respond as soon as possible to the initial query. During busy times, send a quick message to let the client know the request has been received. Mention that a reply will follow and, if possible, let the client know when. Then, follow through.
- When creating a proposal, provide a conservative estimate of the turnaround time. If the final report is delivered earlier, it will be a happy surprise.
- Let the client know immediately if an unexpected obstacle gets in the way of finishing on schedule. Most people understand that things don’t always go as planned.
- If a project takes longer than a week, consider posting brief updates in the message thread on the project page on a regular basis.
- Consider using the research log (there’s a tab for it on the top right of the project page) to track progress for multi-step projects. The log entries can be made visible to a client before a project is finished.
Doing one or more of these few simple things can help a client’s wait time feel relaxed and happy and that contributes to an overall feeling of project-related satisfaction.
Back to the contest videos. In my mind, I know that it takes many hours to prepare them for posting. And, actually, I’m a pretty patient person. But, even so, I’ve been eager! If I had known that the intermediate competition videos wouldn’t be posted until mid-July, then I wouldn’t have started looking for them in June. 
My fiddle video was posted earlier today, by the way, and I suspect the banjo video will be along soon. I’m not 100% proud of it, so I won’t post a link but — maybe next year!