I’m not going to mention names here but I had to write this post to let people know the kind of things that go on with difficult clients in my business area, web & graphic design, and the kind of people in business out there at the min. If I wasn’t so badly affected, I’d be laughing… 😐
Case 1:
A former regular client with monthly bills who went without paying for about 4 months and left me in debt to the tune of about €700. Not once did I get paid by this guy on time having worked for him for years and he made me hand deliver printed invoices (16 mile round trip for me) then told me to come back some other time to collect a cheque! He told me on numerous occasions that he couldn’t pay because a pile of bills just came out of his account only for me to find out soon after that he was sunning himself abroad just after I talked to him.
Case 2:
One of my best ever clients financially but who would think nothing of ringing me 15/20 times a day or asking me to do his shopping for him on the way over for meetings. He once asked me to drop all my other clients and work exclusively for him! It was a real Boss – Employee situation. It felt like I sold my soul for his work and offloading him was a massive relief.
Case 3:
A local estate agent who gave me a spec and time limit both of which I adhered to exactly. I even got the site approved by people in his office but when I sent the final invoice all went quiet for months. I named and shamed and suddenly my work was under par and I got threatened with litigation. I took down the website but the client gained control of the .ie domain and site because I bought it in his name.
Regular issues:
- Slow payments,
- No Payments,
- ‘Surprise’ at yearly hosting and domain renewal fees,
- Slipping in extra work after acceptance of quote,
- Projects with no end point,
- Clients who can’t use email,
- Clients going quiet for months mid project.
- Blah, blah..
Leon
Reverb Studios Design 