Firing a client
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- e-wo
How do you fire a bad client?
------A little about mine: I launched her site years ago, but she never took the time to learn the CMS, so I've been making minor adjustments and inventory updates for a while at a decent rate.
She causes more stress than the $ is worth. She's needlessly picky, condescending, self-contradicting, and always shifting blame upon me for her bad decisions. I've never been an advisor, just a utensil.
I just finished up a round of edits to her site. I'd like to hand the Squarespace login over with a brief email that says I'll no longer be available. Do I have any obligation to be more helpful than that?
– She's old, and can perform zero steps on her own, so she will see this as a cruel, unprofessional betrayal and flip out.
– I won't refer her to anyone I know.
– I don't think we have any bridges in common that will burn because of this.Your thoughts?
- e-wo0
I will, of course, wait until payment clears (which she always delays) before delivering the tough news.
- since19791
Tell her you went out of business.
- I did just take a full time job, so it's sorta true.e-wo
- ^ Ta-da. There's your perfect out.Continuity
- tell here that, suck it up, offer her one last round of tweaks with a firm end date and walk away.Julesvm
- make sure that she doesn't knows where you wentsted
- Gnash1
simply charge her what your time/aggregation is worth.
She will either shuffle off on her own, or you will be well compensated. Don't negotiate -- present it as a take it or leave it.
i.e. tell her you will be moving to a monthly retainer of $300/month which will cover 4 hours of updates to be paid in advance. Anything more than 4 hours will be billed. No carry-over hours and each month paid in advance of the work.
she'll take it or no. you win either way
- detritus0
nah, I don't believe you should simply up your charges to account for a difficult cunt - some people make life miserable, so if you're not desperate for their business, drop them.
Drop them as best suits you and if you can do it gracefully, communicate why so at least they can reflect on things for any future engagement.
if, like me, you can't necessarily explain that gracefully: don't.
- this is true to a degree. But like any relationship, a client will treat you the way you allow them to. you can change that interaction with a little effort.Gnash
- best to repair, than discard. if possible.Gnash
- dunno, i find it hard to claw back enthusiasm for on-going work once a client's caused enough resentment.detritus
- ya, sometimes it is futile.Gnash
- Yes, I allowed the dynamic to happen. But she's also a naturally insufferable person. Not a bridge I want maintained.e-wo
- face_melter7
Get paid then let her go and briefly explain why out of courtesy - new job, no time etc. Just because she acts the clown no need for you to.
- < thisBluejam
- < thatsted
- I concursinjun
- http://www.reactiong…Bluejam
- Yes : )e-wo
- http://i.imgur.com/v…Krassy
- yupmoldero
- Clowns!since1979
- yurimon-2
Hire via outsource someone else to do it from fiverr.com or another source based on the skill set. manage the person keep the rest, free up your time to do other work.
if its basic work she wouldn't know the difference. whats the stress coming from?
- Aye, add another layer of conflict management to your woes, e-wo.detritus
- 0 understanding of the situation.
0 experience in pm.sted - If you pick a competent person, its easy. if you pick a a non competent person, its hard. you can have them work directly under your umbrella.yurimon
- or assign someone else if you really dont want to deal with it.yurimon
- you have to judge your tolerance with ability or desire to manage. prob more classy way out is to refer someone else, that way they aren't completely shaftedyurimon
- wont have interruptions in their time or business if its a good match, who you recommend.yurimon
- -1 understanding of the situation.
-1 experience in pm.sted - I already do this. done this under full time work. competence of your outsource is key.yurimon
- I'm not surprised that lie to the client is your style.sted
- lolmonospaced
- didnt lie it was cms work i didnt want to do they were happy to pay. i considered it passive income. everything went smooth, text, image changes. lasted tillyurimon
- they grown to hire in house. which is cool cause i like people to grow when im a part of it.yurimon
- i wouldn't take work advice from a guy who hasn't worked in 11 yearsmoldero
- nice try. lol. stupidity is too great from you people.yurimon
- ideaist0
I can no longer work with you.
Please pay the final invoice at your convenience.
Thank you & good luck.
: )
- I've done this recently with various clients based on their negative attitude towards a wage increase (for me).ideaist
- Have they always paid? Seems like you'd get some delay out of spite.e-wo
- They do.
Often, it's over a small amount of money ( < $1000).
Overdemanding & undervaluing.ideaist - Don't forget the smiley face.pango
- mugwart1
Find a way around it.
Charge a lot more, explain your a designer and that's not part of your job. Doing this stops your real income and profession but happy to continue having her as a client.
If she fires you - great if she agrees you have a pay up.
Change the way you deal business. We had a policy that worked well at a department I once worked. When they give you a load of changes, put them in bullet points and get her to sign off on it before the changes. That way you have a "round Robin" and she cant pull any stunts.
- microkorg0
Yeah give her the login and a link to the Squarespace Help Guide ;)
You could be nice and maybe write some instructions or offer to spend an allocated time teaching her how to update the site. Paid time of course.
And if shes got any other questions followign that then chage her for the time too.Just say your other work has picked up and you simply dont have the time to be updating websites for her at the current rate.
You could put up her rate to see if she'll pay it.
- mekk0
Every small client I ditched now sees me as some kind of marketing scammer. They really think I use Magento or Typo3 so that they never can do anything without me ever again. But refused to learn a single thing. Fools. One of the reasons why I quitted freelancing.
- Gnash0
wait, is she hot?
- BK0
F her.
- spot130
I'd just slowly up my fees / pad hours / charge for bs - until they take their business elsewhere
- sofakingback0
Just tell her the truth or tell her to fuck off. Don't half way it, that will bring you more issues later on.