Some of our best long-term clients started as rescues. A 140-year-old UK merchandise business came to us mid-project, after the previous developers couldn't deliver the design across a 60-page build. That turned into a relationship now in its fourth year. Rescues are a real specialism, and they have very little to do with being a better coder. You're handling a situation, not just a codebase.
1. Calm things down before you touch the code
A stalled project means a client who's anxious, possibly out of pocket, and braced for more bad news. Before auditing anything technical, lower the temperature. Acknowledge where things are, promise nothing you haven't checked yet, and commit to a date for a clear assessment. Calm is the first deliverable.
2. Audit honestly, and keep what's good
The temptation is to declare everything broken and start again. It bills well. The honest move is to separate what can be saved from what can't, and say so plainly. Often the design is fine and the build is the problem; sometimes it's the other way round. Being precise is what rebuilds trust, because the client has usually had weeks of vagueness.
The previous team's job was the website. Your job is the website and the client's confidence.
3. Give a path, not a verdict
"Here's what's wrong" isn't much use on its own. "Here's what's wrong, here's what we keep, here's the order we'll fix it in, and here's when you'll see the first win" turns a worried client into a partner. Plan the early wins so they can see progress within days.
4. Don't trash the last developer
It's tempting, and the client may invite it. Don't. Criticising the previous team makes you look small, and makes the client wonder what you'll say about them later. Be matter-of-fact about the problems and generous about the people. Professionalism is reassuring in itself.
5. Over-communicate through the recovery
A rescue client has been burned by silence, so silence is the one thing you can't afford. Short, frequent updates, even "no blockers, on track", do more for the relationship than a perfect handover at the end. By launch day, the goal isn't just a working site. It's a client who wouldn't think of going anywhere else.