Stripe changed their API.
The timeline just shifted.
How do we tell the client?
Most agencies do one of three things:
→ Bury it in a status update and hope they don't notice → Wait until the client asks why something's late → Panic and over-apologize without offering a solution
We do none of that.
Here's our rule:
Communicate bad news within 24 hours, with a proposed solution.
The Formula
Every time something goes wrong, we use this structure:
1. What Happened
"Stripe deprecated the payment method API we were using. It's no longer supported as of this week."
No jargon. No defensiveness. Just the facts.
2. Why It Happened
"This was announced 6 months ago, but we missed it in their changelog. That's on us."
We own our part. No finger-pointing.
3. The Impact
"This affects the payment flow milestone. It adds 3 days to the timeline while we migrate to the new API."
Clear, quantified impact. Not "it might delay things a bit."
4. What We're Doing About It
"We've already started the migration. We're prioritizing this over the next feature to minimize delays. The new API is actually more stable, so this is a net positive long-term."
Solution first. Context second.
5. Revised Timeline
"Original delivery: Friday. New delivery: Monday. Next milestone is unaffected."
No ambiguity. You know exactly when to expect things.
Why This Works
Bad news doesn't kill trust.
Hiding it does.
Clients don't expect perfection. They expect honesty and solutions.
When we communicate bad news this way:
→ They're not blindsided → They see we're already solving it → They trust us more, not less
The Worst Thing You Can Do
Wait.
Hope it resolves itself.
Minimize it.
Let the client discover it on their own.
That's how you lose clients.
The Best Thing You Can Do
Tell them fast. Tell them clearly. Tell them what you're doing about it.
Bad news + fast communication + clear plan = trust.
Bad news + delay + excuses = disaster.
How do you handle bad news with clients or vendors? What's your communication framework?
#ProjectManagement #ClientRelations #Transparency #SoftwareDevelopment #Leadership
→ scopeforged.com
Philip Rehberger Founder, ScopeForged scopeforged.com
