Communication Crafts

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They get our vision, and our clients are very happy with the work we’re producing for them, which is a combination of the work Communication Crafts does and the way we manage the projects. Communication Crafts are like an extended part of our production team. We constantly get good feedback and it helps us win more work as well.

How did Communication Crafts perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very good from a project management point of view. We get weekly updates about what they are doing and have a weekly phone call which they are often chasing me for because I know I can trust them with things. We also have a weekly Skype call, and once a year their boss will come over and we go out for dinner together. I never have any worries about project management with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the distinguishing parts of their service is that they are very good communication-wise and have creative skill sets to match it; they don’t just talk the talk. They aren’t just yes people but will challenge me if they think that what we are saying doesn’t sound right or isn’t a good idea. They’ll listen and study what we want them to do, and a lot of magic comes out of that way of working.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I like things fast, so producing things a bit quicker may be one of the factors in any service, but I wouldn’t say they’re really slow or anything like that. I am generally satisfied, to be honest.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I wouldn’t hesitate to work with them. They are good people and a good company. They are very easy to work with. I would say not to be too rigid with how you want things to be done. Adapt around them and things can work out quite nicely.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The videos are not up and running yet. We’re launching our website, and the videos will be posted there. I appreciated the responsiveness and luckily we had enough material to act quickly as well. Since we already had a sort of storyboard, it was easier for them to understand the product and the message we wanted to convey. They were good.

How did Communication Crafts perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a very tight schedule because I wanted to show the video at an event. I was in contact with the project manager through Skype to discuss the technicalities, and she was excellent.

The people at Communication Crafts were very organized and kept me updated on the progress of the project. They sent me records every Monday, allowing me to know exactly what was going on. They would get in touch if there were any issues or if they needed anything, or even if they needed any advice despite the different time zone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were better than some European suppliers we worked with. I am happy with my choice. Sometimes it isn’t just a matter of price.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was a bit of an issue when it came to payment. I don’t know how the banking system works in India, but I don’t think it’s their fault. When you have to provide bank details to your customers, they need to know exactly what information to provide; nothing less, nothing more. If Europe is one of their markets, they need to know how payments are done from Europe to their account. Each country has its own habits, but in Europe, there are regulations which are quite common. Every time we are asked to make a payment, the details are always the same.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I have already passed on their contact information to some people I know that might have the need to make videos in the future. Trust them. Although I am very picky and demanding, I really wanted to leave it up to them.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’re testing the website on the consumer side at the moment and there are a few refinements that need to be made, but overall, it’s running smoothly. We aim to do the beta launch in mid-December and I’m confident that the website will be ready by then.

In many ways, Communication Crafts has exceeded my expectations. They probably managed to go beyond the brief we gave them and working with them has been very straightforward. They have bent over backward to help me, especially considering I’m a non-tech person. I can imagine some of the conversations we have had would have been a bit frustrating for them.

How did Communication Crafts perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Skype or email to communicate with the development team. We generally have a call on a weekly basis and they tend to all be there. Management wise, they are quite methodical. Communication Crafts provides an email following the Skype call which specifies what we discussed and the next things they will be working on. It’s very straightforward from that point of view.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication Crafts is very helpful and genuinely wants to do a good job. If their client isn’t pleased with what they’re producing, they aren’t pleased. From a non-technical aspect, I also found it quite surprising how they managed to create on the website the ideas that I had in my head. I find it quite difficult to talk in technical terms that describe exactly what I want.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always a possibility of miscommunication across national boundaries. Indian companies tend to take things a little more literally than you might actually mean, so clients have to be careful with how they communicate in order to avoid problems. We’ve experienced some minor issues like this. For example, we wanted to create a pop-up guide that displays how the website works to the customer, and that was taken quite literally.

They came back to us with almost a step-by-step guide illustrating which lines to fill and so on. I was actually thinking of a page where we would describe what the icons mean and where the user needs to go to see the results.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They are very practiced in the process they have, and I think it works very well. I don’t necessarily see any issues in anything where they need to drastically improve.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our website has satisfied all of our needs as a company. It allows us to continue all of our regular operations while reaching a much wider audience. We have been really impressed with their products and services.

How did Communication Crafts perform from a project management standpoint?

They are extremely responsive to all of our requests. Whenever we have questions about anything on the website, they are available and helpful to us. We usually communicate through email, though in very emergency situations we can reach them over the phone as well. And even though they are based in India, we communicate for the most part in English.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think the most impressive aspect of their work is their response time. Not just with answering are questions, but they also deal with issues very quickly. If we ever find bugs that need to be resolved, they are able to take care of them right away. We have worked with a few companies before who don’t necessarily give us the same level of attention, so we really appreciate that about Communication Crafts.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We really have nothing to complain about. Everything has gone very smoothly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would suggest that anyone starting a project like this be very precise about what you want. You can cause a lot of unnecessary difficulties by leaving ambiguities in your project specifications, and your life will be much easier on the whole if you can avoid that.