Public Voice Network
- QBN EXPATS 4242
- Thanks Obama.. 55
- DaftPunk 225225
- Auto Racing? 1616
- Black People :/ 170170
- QBN Personas 1717
- blog 5771757717
- the gif animation thread 1850118501
- Show some recent work 55645564
- Paid vacation? 3232
- FMT 250513 33
- Pic of the Day 7480474804
- Blue people ;~ 3737
- Official Infographics Thr… 172172
- Best American band of all… 134134
- instagram 656656
- London machete attack 6969
- Champions League 2012-13 9797
- Nice dj/club websites? 55
- Official NSFW Thread 264264
- Architecture of the Day 437437
- Chick of the Day 1825718257
- The Purge 2121
- Trailer Of The Day 800800
Client of the Day 149149 Responses
Last post: 3 days, 21 hours ago | Thread started: May 4, 10, 9:19 a.m.
- nb
I have a client who constantly mails my cheques to my old address. At first I thought he was lying to buy some time, but last week I went in to pick up the cheque from him.
He showed me a printed page of inkjet labels with my old address (from years ago.) I suggested he throw it out. He said he would. WE WERE IN HIS OFFICE. Garbage and recycling right beside him. I said, "No, I mean you should throw it out RIGHT NOW. It's obviously not useful."
He laughed and said, "Oh I will. Don't worry." But I left his office worried, with the labels still on his desk. I don't really know what to think.
- Dog-earMay 2, 11, 4 p.m. – Permalink
- SteveZissou
2008:
C*nt client: We got the (HTML) templates but "Mark" said they're rubbish, he can't work with them
Me: What's wrong with them?
C*nt client: He says you've used some daft program, you haven't even used tables
Me: ...
Me: I don't mean to be rude but...(W3C, coding practices etc)
C*nt client: Look, I don't care, just re do them
Me: I can't do that because...
C*nt client: (Interrupts) Look, if you don't re do them, you're not getting paid
Me: Ok...(didn't bother)2011
Dream client: OK great, did you bring an invoice?
Me: No, I'll email you one
Dream client: How much did it come to?
Me: £X
Dream client: Ok, bill me for £Y (X+10%!), I'm really happy with it
Me: Oh...thanks
Dream client: *Smiles
Me: *SmilesPeople reveal their true selves when they're holding the cash...
- Dog-earMay 2, 11, 6:24 p.m. – Permalink
- bjladams
just got this 2 min ago:
Ben,
Sorry - I've been out for a few days and am just now looking at the drafts you sent last week. Here are my changes: (lists a handful of changes)p.s. it's important that this is finished and gets out by 3:00 pm today. hope you day is as awesome as mine!
it's 1:30 pm here... i'm in meetings till 5, then drinks/dinner with a client.
everything in me wants to send one back to her that says "Ben is out of the office, but will review your email in a few days, hope you're having an awesome week like i am!"
instead i just told her that i'm in a meeting and will get to it as soon as i can... and sent a paypal link for the additional hours.
- Dog-earMay 3, 11, 10:40 a.m. – Permalink
- bjladams
a new client just sent thru vector logo, high res pics, dimensions, fonts, and all the copy to be added to the project... they also gave us their budget and timeframe and wanted to know when they can pay... this is all just a bit too much to take in at the moment.
we train our existing clients to provide this kind of assistance, but this is a first for a new client...
- Dog-earMay 26, 11, 6:03 a.m. – Permalink
- monospaced
Typical situation: I design a piece of collateral and then the copy on it goes through thousands of iterations. What's so fucking annoying is that the client requests a revised PDF for each version, even if it's just a word changing on a postcard. Now, it only takes a minute or so to make the revision, create a PDF and reply with the new attachment, but it's so fucking pointless. The design is the same! Just figure out the copy, and I'll give you the fucking finished product!
- Dog-earJun 7, 11, 11:40 a.m. – Permalink
- monospaced
Another client brought me a dozen mini Crumbs cupcakes today for a job well done and for putting up with their shit.
- Dog-earJun 7, 11, 11:42 a.m. – Permalink
- sherm
Day 1
Client: You were referred to us by Designer X. Do you have examples of work you have done?Me: Yes. <sends email>
Client: Oh! you have done work for awesome globally recognized fashion design conglomerate? and other subsequently less interesting companies?
Me: Yes. This is true.
Client: Jibber Jabber about project specs.
Day 2
Client: OK we want you to build our site for the fee your proposed.feeMe. No problem. Since its just a minor revamp with CMS (WP) addition I'll let you know if I need any info from you.
Client: Oh by the way, I also need X Y and Z and a shopping cart.
Me: (...) you are only selling one item. I can just create a form that will pass the customer to whatever payment processing gateway you desire. A cart is not necessary and is more overhead than you need currently. When I'm done
Client: cool When can you have it done.
Me: A week from today.
Cleint: Can it be done in a day? I really need it.
Me: No it can not. It can however be done in a week.
Client: OK
Skip a day (3)
Day 4:
Client: I was thinking, can you knock X dollars off the price? We are just starting out and I was thinking your fee is too much.Me: ... (thinks, Should I fire them? but answers...) Well the price is firm and already discounted being that I was referred by Designer X and I work with her frequently. What I can do is accept 2 payments of X or 3 payments of Y... Whatever is more comfortable for you.
Client: Okay but can you get the site done by tomorrow?
Me: (delays email response because it was Sunday to begin with) No. You agreed that it was fine that it was done by X day as originally proposed.
Client: OK fine but I'll be travelling that day and wont have internet access to see the site. Can you have it the day prior?
Me: I will see what I can do. (not changing the date at all as a week is basically a rush and I'm not even charging a rush fee)
- Dog-earJun 7, 11, 12:02 p.m. – Permalink
- CanHasQBN
I'm so glad I quit my design job. I was really sick of being treated like a bitch by ignorant clients who merely see designers as a blunt tool to execute their crappy ideas. In no other industry are college-educated professionals treated so much like children. There's barely any respect or trust in what we do for a living.
And for some reason, clients LOVE to assume that they're your only client, and that you've got nothing better to do during the day but twiddle your thumbs and be entirely subservient to them at all times.
Here's a summary from all the clients in your posts: "Design is easy. Just do it. I need it. Today. And I might not pay you."
Well fuck that. It's not worth it IMO. The work itself is too time-consuming and tedious (if you give a damn about details) and frankly, not worth the stress or money. I'm sick of putting so much effort and enthusiasm into a piece, and then having the client push it aside only to replace it with some fucking abortion of an idea.
And they want instant gratification (reflective of our entire society). There's not even any time left open for concepting or brainstorming anymore. It's purely execution... and then the client wonders why the end product is absolute rubbish. I was given a mere six hours to create a brochure concept and web concept for a national brand, and would have to present it the next day in front of about 12 board members. I bombed. The work was crap. I had no faith in it. I couldn't sell it with a straight face. There was no thought behind it, no foundation. It was execute, execute, execute just to get it done before the next day.
Call me a quitter, but there are better ways to sustain yourself.
- Dog-earJun 7, 11, 1:31 p.m. – Permalink
- Claymantis
There is a client at my company that has insisted to make very bad design choices, thus making the site look shitty. But now he has actually learnt illustrator, and is sending me mock ups, in illustrator at 4000 px wide. He's very frustrated about why everything isn't looking perfect. He's such a control freak, a ram rod.
- Dog-earJul 14, 11, 10:51 p.m. – Permalink
