Firing a Client
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- 23 Responses
- woodyBatts
Anyone ever done it? I think I have to do it.
Thanx.
- paulrand0
yes. do it.
- jevad0
there have been plenty of times I wish I could have...oh boy there has been..
whats teh story?
- BonSeff0
i've fired a couple
- monkeyshine0
Yes, it is stressful but sometimes necessary.
Do it but take the high road as much as possible. Be entirely professional and be careful not to frame it in blaming terms. Just let go...think your needs would be better served..blah blah...
- Jnr_Madison0
Best part of the job.
- jpea0
i did it once.
i hated the way a project was handled... completely unprofessional.
i LOVED firing them.do it if you need to.
- josimarX0
'firing a client' sounds really arrogant. Kioken used to go on about it and I thought they sounded like cocks. Also, the client's only gonna get someone else to do it and if they are worth their salt, they would have arranged that you can't be a twat and hold onto files and their transition to a new agency is flawless, with you left with no final fee.
(I have actually told two clients half way through projects I would rather they got someone else to do it and suggested companies to them)
- MR_T0
I remember Kioken spanking on about 'firing clients'...bet they could have done with a few of those fees in the end.
I can understand the temptation, but the 'high road' mentioned in an earlier post, is probably to keep them and finish the job.
- woodyBatts0
Well i'm certainly not trying to be arrogant. And I like this company but i feel that they are unprofessional and mishandle projects, which leads to more time invested by me, who has a negotiated set rate for a certain amount of hours budgeted for each week.
Thie biggest issue is that they consume almost twice the time, and blame me for poor project management. To give you an example i have spent 8 weeks on a website and have just recieved copy, not content, copy for the site...the deadline was yesterday.
I could go on and on but it's really not worth it.
- jpea0
honestly though, I couldn't just suck up the fact that they were horribly mismanaging a project, horribly enough to make me look bad. So I did what was required of me to not look bad, tell the client that they weren't meeting my requirements for the project and leave it at that. The project was finished, albiet, not well, but I left with a lesson learned.
I don't think you (being the freelancer) has to always pick up the slack that a client might give. You have the right to not be shit on all the time.
- MR_T0
I understand where you are coming from...I am launching a site next week that has taken nearly 6 months for the client to get their content in place..it's still not right and poorly written, but after 6 months.....hell, it's going in.
Not knowing the full situation, I reckon it's better to try to manage the client than sack em. Whether you can do it for this project is up to you...but I still reckon that any situation is salvagable.
I have sacked a client once..but that was more mutual as we were not getting on at all 2 days into the project. When I look back, I see a missed invoice all because I was too cocky....if would do it differently if I had my time again.
- paulrand0
I don't think there's anything inherently arrogrant about firing a client unles you do it in an arrogant manner
- 4cY0
i once fired a client who wanted to sue me for not delivering in time while they never brought in content.. in the end i managed to end it 'relatively' professional and send them to another company with a friendly gesture.
thing they didn't know is that this company is one i hate the most, they infringe copyrights on any level and are complete fucks, so i was happy to send this shite and unprofessional client there! :)
- woodyBatts0
Well the thing is is that i'm workin through a company, and though mishandling projects is annoying, it's really not enough for me to drop them.
All clients knows what looks best, All clients are their own best designer... we've all heard it before
I guess what i'm getting at is that i don't want to be the scapegoat for this companies downfalls.
It's a very wierd situation. they want me to work 45 hours, they ghet ad because i leave, etc etc... it's like they want my first born or somethin, i dunno.
- D70
Dont fire them. Make em pay.
- toqueboy0
i've done it lots. it's pretty simple. you expect from a client, certain things... just as they do from you.
if they fail in any of them, it makes the relationship very difficult.
DO NOT PUSSY OUT and take blame if it's the client. tell them that.
don't be a bitch to clients, or you'll get treated like that forever.
- toqueboy0
just read all the posts:
this is a perfect example of why 'we' (being designers) need very specific contracts.
for those of you starting out...aside from a computer, it's the most important part. there's tons online, and most the universities have a small business development program where business students will help you set up.
contracts contracts contracts. for your own sanity.
- MR_T0
agreed......good contracts are key
- woodyBatts0
I have a contract, everything is specified. And they have paid, the only thing is that they get upset when i refuse to work any longer than specified, and they get upset when their mistakes come back and bite them in the ass...
this is a very small company, 2 guys, who borrowed money from their parents to start up a "new media" company, needless to say they do not have exerience in any kind of design at all.
Really into 2advanced, if you catch my drift.
- brundlefly0
if firing them is too arrogant perhaps we need a new PC terminology....
conciliatory client discharge indifference plebiscite retraction...
or
don't let the door hit you ass on the way out contract clauses.