Client of the Day
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- El_Montr00
"We are still missing the logos from the sponsors but can you start adapting that design to the other formats?"
And so I did.....2 days later ----> 8 fucking logos
- nb0
I have a client who routinely phones me regarding issues that have nothing to do with me. About once a month I get a call (on my cell) from one of two guys who run this company asking why their internet isn't working. I always respond with, "That has nothing to do with me. I just make your website. Do not call me about this. Call your internet provider." Of course, they call me first because their internet provider puts them on hold. I've lost count of how many times I've said the words "Do not call me about this."
The best from them so far was, "Hey, this guy came in and set up a fax machine for us yesterday. It's not working. Why isn't it working?"
So in an attempt to stop them from calling me for everything little thing, I've started billing them for any phone call that lasts more than 1 minute. Today I'll be sending my first invoice that includes a bunch of line-items for "Phone Support." I'm interested to see what they say.
- a fine movescarabin
- Nice, post back their response!elahon
- no way!monospaced
- smoothdoesnotexist
- Do you charge per phone call? How much?freedom
- nb0
On the other hand, I work with another company that is a dream come true.
When I first met them, they said, "Each month we'll just tell you how much money we can afford to pay you. Would you mind giving us advice as to what direction we should go to make the money spent the most effective? We just want more business so we can afford to pay you more, so we can grow more, and so on."
As if that isn't good enough, they ALWAYS take my advice. It's unbelievable. Plus, every time they email me content or whatever, they're always apologizing. "You must think we're the worst clients! We're so difficult!" I'm constantly re-assuring them that they are, in fact, the best clients ever.
- this does happen... thanks for bringing it up...vaxorcist
- I'm inspired.monospaced
- can you give us their name???? Or make a telemovie or something?Amicus
- Nice to hear, have something similar wherein one of our clients always asks for detailed advice on things and then deceides they have no money to spend. This happens every time.webazoot
- ...can't afford to spend anything.webazoot
- nb0
^ So my not-too-bright client who I invoiced for "Phone Support" etc, just tried to forward the invoice to another one of my clients. (The two companies sometimes work together on projects.)
The second client just phoned me asking why they were being billed. I explained the situation to them, no problems. So I'm expecting a call any minute now from the first client. What a mess.
- what about billing them for the new phone calls where you have to explain all this shit....vaxorcist
- monospaced0
^ this is hilarious
I've always wanted to pull shit like this, but never had the balls.
- By the way, how much do you charge for one of these calls?monospaced
- nb0
I kept a record of time spent on the phone with them, and it's billed at my regular hourly rate. This invoice had a total two hours, and this is the first time I've done it.
I think this is fair. I'm strictly freelance, billing hourly, and I've got no assistant and minimal sub-contracting. Any time spent on the phone with them is time I could be making money on other projects. A half an hour phone call explaining why I can't set up their fax machine from my office is costing me time (aka money.) Same goes for things like burning a CD twice because they thought it didn't work. They called me up and I walked the guy through putting a CD in his computer. It's nuts!
It will merely be a bonus if they learn that it's not worth calling me for every little task. Or, if they don't learn, at least I'm not wasting my time and losing money.
My next career goal is to be busy enough that I can hire a part-time assistant to handle these things. Any of you have a personal assistant? It seems like it would be heaven.
- yes, you have the billing for the wasted time, but these calls mess up your mind focus..vaxorcist
- nb you are my new personal hero
that is allDaithi - I had a mate who was really suffering from this, basically becoming technical support for clientsRanger
- changed his contact number to a premium rate number, doesn't solve it but at least he is getting some compensationRanger
- ETM0
^
Caller ID and voicemail solves problems like that for me.
- mydo0
an RFP today...
HTML, Flash, multilingual, supports all possible SEO tricks, a login, where customers can sign up to become a member and login to get special features and functions, like bulgari.com, cattier.com, tiffany.com customization tool, jewellery customized according to customer’s wishes, customer always can find their previous orders.
budget $2000. That should be possible after what I have been consulted by leading industry experts.
- Ha!MSL
- I wouldn't go near these guys...SunSunSun
- Add some 0000,00 to that for FS.pillhead
- leading industry experts was his line!mydo
- send them to elancer... and wish them good luck
maikel - so why isn't he using the leading industry experts?Amicus
- His nephew is busy with school.ETM
- I'm sure they misheard the advice... it was 2 MILLION not 2000.Amicus
- set0
I just got asked in reference to a web design after the design being signed off weeks ago... 'can you make it more exciting?'
I think I'll just overlay the jaws theme tune and send it back to the cunt.
- I've had this before.mydo
- this almost always happens with certain kinds of clients... gotta figure out how to avoid it..vaxorcist
- I have a second contract which signs the design off, any changes after 3 x hourly rate.sneakybadger
- Stugoo0
Working with a client that is running 16 bit colour on ie6. Meanwhile we produce some luxurious and complex png heavy websites... always complains the site looks like shit.
They don't check the site when we hand them a QA URL, signs it off then when we go live decides to pick holes in the opacity of the background and the content they provided.
oh and they wanted it yesterday. </rant>
- lol 16-bit color! They must be some cheap MotherFuckers!boobs
- Beat them to death with their cheap ass equipment!sneakybadger
- Projectile0
doing something to go onto the WWE homepage. They took 2 weeks to get back.. send back some really fucking awful shit and say "make it look like what we've provided"
Jesus fucking christ! I spend 2 days making something way better! and who the fuck are they to dictate to me what to design when we're paying?? but I know that if I try make something better then they'll just keep pushing back, so I'm fucked.
- Projectile0
Designing a full identity for someone.
I've spent 4 hours researching and exploring techniques and ideas for the concept of "living in light" so logos that convey lighting and shadows etc, textures, all sorts.
Just got an email saying this:
I have recently changed my name! I have been wanting to change it for a while and a couple of weeks back the time and the right name came through - Aashka (it means blessing!)
W! T! F!
- inteliboy0
on multiple occasions ---
go through the whole process of designing Concept 1 & 2... no good... no. 3 & 4... no good... no. 3b & 4b + extra 5th concept... client then decides they in fact like Concept 1.
- Samush0
this thread combined with my own recent experience makes me want to change career entirely.
good.
- mydo0
just got this.....
I own the domain www.#######rapid,com
and am looking for a partner to develop the website as a revenue generating portal. I am looking for a similar deal for www.########gateways,com which I also own.
- mydo0
Roughly translated.
I own a website name that cost me $5
I am looking for someone to make something for free that makes me money.
Twice.