Invoice Question
- Started
- Last post
- 9 Responses
- graphiknature
I have a client in which I did some html/css coding for. I had to come off of my hourly rate b/c their budget with the client got cut. So I gave them a set price for the project. Anyway, they were to provide me with a template to code the other pages (forms) out with. When I got the template I noticed the person who wrote the code didn't know what they were really doing(they had 3 different freelancers coding the pages so the code/image names weren't consistent) and the project went beyond the 10 hour scope that was anticipated. Also they had me make additional changes. I ended up working 22 hours. They were impressed by my thoroughness and had me take another project of fixing the code on the pages so they display correctly on ie6. This takes a long time especially when 3 different people are coding the pages. They asked for my total hours. Should I bill them hourly for the work on the first project or do I need to use the set price and eat the extra hours I worked? If the code was valid and good this would have taken a lot less time. We agreed upon a set price of $400 ($40/hr for 10 hours). I assume I will charge them the same $0/hr for the second project. Any help would be appreciated.
- graphiknature0
I will charge them $40/hr for the second project.
- formed0
Eat it. Part of getting clients, keeping people happy is sticking to what you say you will (within reason, of course).
Explain to them the extra time you put in and bill for it in the second project, or at least suggest something that is more reasonable.
They like you, so give them reason to trust you.
- Wrong, if they are happy withe work, they will have no problem in paying that on that invoice.Kiggen
- Right if you want to keep your clients happy and paying. Future business is money.formed
- depends on the kind of client, do they care about quality or cost more, are they relationship-oriente... or do they throw people away?vaxorcist
- vaxorcist0
argh!
The client has never heard of Brooke's Law: Adding more people to a late project will make it even later.
I'd bill them for the original, then negotiate the rest, depends on how much of a heads-up you gave them as soon as it started going over original scope.
Good luck, hopefully they'll stop seeing coders as interchagable...
- graphiknature0
I complained about the code and told them from the get go it was not valid. These pages had a ton of syntax errors on them. It was a nightmare project and their agency is very unorganized. I think I may do what formed said. Anyone else have a suggestion?
- TResudek0
Gotta stick to the original price quote. Sounds like you are by far the best freelancer they have so you will be rewarded with more work. Work that you will be the first guy to code.
- graphiknature0
Okay. I sent the invoice. I ate the hours on the first project and stuck with the original set price and I billed them for the second. I told them to let me know if they have any questions. Thanks for the input guys. Next time I'm going to get more detailedand set an overage hourly fee to cover my a$$.
- chris_himself0
ya, and maybe have a disclaimer on future quotes about the hours changing upon review of supplied materials/data
- vaxorcist0
NOTE! If you raise your rates, communicate why you did that very clearly to the people that matter, not just the underlings at the agency.....
...make damn sure they don't just hire the cheaper coder(s) AGAIN and then hire you AGAIN to clean up the mess... this happened to me twice with one client, as the mid-level account people didn't talk much to the money people, who saw all coders ad commodities...
- formed0
It's all about keeping them informed. If you give people a heads up and demonstrate that you are trying to give them the best solution and keep costs down, people will respond favorable.
For future work, bring up extra hours immediately and most people will be fine paying.
And yeah, cover your ass! Better to have a little cushion and not give unexpected cost increases. People hate getting unexpected bills.