Code of Conduct:
Working Together
Setting Up Boundaries and Maintaining Mutual
Respect within the Client-Agency Relationship.
Making Mental Health a Priority.
Who is this Guide for ?
If you work for MKCA or with MKCA, this guide is for you.
the norms of engagement between the client and the Agency
in order to set our priorities:
- Maintain the MKCA culture of mutual respect.
- Protect the mental health of both employees
and clients.
Setting the rules of engagement with clients
MKCA has established strict rules and limitations to protect our employees, notably Project Leads, who work directly with clients the most. By establishing agency-set standards of engagement, employees of the MKCA team avoid defining boundaries on their own, protecting customers from being treated unfairly or dealing with inconsistent boundaries being set. It sets common, healthy expectations for staff and clients.
Client-Agency relationships need to be a partnership built on mutual respect
Although it has been a popular saying in agencies that “the customer is always right” or “the customer is king”, this implies that the balance of power lies with the Client, not the Agency. As a result, this kind of unbalanced relationship can lead to unhealthy habits amongst Agency employees who are trying to please the Client at all costs (working late, saying yes to demands that are unreasonable, etc).
By establishing the rules of engagement upfront, MKCA seeks to avoid this kind of dysfunctional Client-Agency relationship and, instead, build one based on mutual respect. Striking a balance and making boundaries clear allows Agency employees to be more productive, the Agency to play its intended role, and for the Agency to work properly, which benefits the Client. It’s good for business and the well-being of Agency employees.
Why are such detailed standards necessary?
Setting a code of conduct with clients upfront is a healthy method for us to communicate how we will work together, what clients can expect from us (and what they should not), and what we expect from clients.
We should all go into business together knowing what to expect from each other.
5 Ways We Keep Our Team Safe: NO. 1
Respect personal time.
Our hours of work are (9am to 5:00pm). We work after hours for exceptional situations, like meetings with people in different time zones. While an occasional request to rush a project or work out of hours is okay, more regular out-of-hours work will incur extra fees to compensate. An early start or staying late should only be an option in rare, extreme situations. Clients should not expect this as standard and not try to take advantage of the generosity of the Agency team to suit their schedules.
Respect personal time.
- Weekly or regularly scheduled meetings agreed upon with clients that have a reasonable reason for out of hours requests (e.g. they’re in a greatly different time zone to ours)
NOT expected or acceptable out of hours:
- Replying to instant messages and emails.
- Actively working on tasks and projects (unless explicitly agreed upon and for rare and exceptional circumstances).