Let's say you're a
web developer, and you encounter the
following situation:
Client: "We're not happy with the website design anymore. We've paid you the 50% of the total cost, so please send us all the files you've done up until now, and we'll find someone else to do our website."
Me: "But the only thing left to do is insert the text content that I've been waiting on you for since last month. It'll take 20 minutes to finish the site after you give it to me."
Client: "Well, we don't like the design anymore, so send us the files you created."
Me: "If you don't like the design, why do you want the files?"
Client: "We paid you for them already."
Me: "No. You paid me half for them already. I'll take off $XX for not having to put the content in, but you owe me the rest of the money."
Client: "You need to learn how to run a business. You fucking kids don't know anything, and just want to rip all us honest business people off."
How would you handle it?
Or, if you want to drink from the tap:
http://clientsfromhell.net/
None.
I would be like Fuck you, If your so smart do it yourself. You are not getting my files.
I am a Mathematician
Then they attempt to sue you.
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Relatively ancient and inactive
... /murderous rampage
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Marketing people in Germany like to use the English language to give products or events an appearance of internationalism and modernity - even if their own language skills are somewhat lacking. A new client asked me to create promotional material for a camping trip on which the participants will meditate, focus on their inner strength blabla. Her naming idea was (in English of course) “concentration camp”. After I recovered I was able to tell her what that actually means. Well, she saw the necessity to come up with something different.
Has potential for a great troll site.
I would've had a "termination fee" or something to begin with. I'd return any money that was payed upfront - the termination fee. Ez.
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I would've had a "termination fee" or something to begin with. I'd return any money that was payed upfront - the termination fee. Ez.
Ah, like a damage deposit. That's an excellent idea!
You'd probably need a specialized third party for that to work right, though. Or else really trusting clients.
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You'd probably need a third party for that to work right
You are telling me their isn't a company out there that would cover stuff like this for small business owners and such? Someone should look into that. Sounds like a money maker.
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I'm 99% sure there already has to be, I just don't know who or what. Maybe there are banks or insurance companies that have some of that functionality... ?
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I'd say quite honestly to either honor the contract or else I'll see him in court for the rest of the payment. If he does not want to do that, then I'd try to set up a full refund, and take the code as it is finished.
And I'd hope to god I'm an LLC or Incorporated...just in case.
I guess this is why in contracts you should put in "proof" or "milestones of completion"
Clients are dicks.
EDIT: You do have a written contract...right? I mean, a verbal contract will work. But this guy sounds manipulative, so if he is, he'd probably try to change his story later.
Pretty simple, you say "You have two options here. I will refund your money and keep the files, or you can pay the rest and get them. Your call."
If they go with the refund, you save the design for future use. Institute a termination fee into future contracts and start getting paid in full.
Quote from name:Tuxedo-Templar
Then they attempt to sue you.
No, then *you* attempt to sue them for breach of contract.
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But you're still entering into legal contention. Regardless of who 'wins', only the lawyers really win in the end.
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I sorta have a few stories of my own.
Last year, I created two 30-second animated commercials for a local air conditioning/heating service (one for the winter months and one for the summer months). The first commercial went well. The owner's story idea for it was surprisingly decent. For the second one, his story idea was terrible. It involved a man who was a rip-off of the Sanford character from Sandord and Son. He opens his air conditioning bill and about has a heart attack over the high price until the company's super hero mascot replaces his unit. That's what he wanted, and that's exactly what I gave him. At 1 a.m. about 2 weeks after finishing it, I get a call on my cell phone from the owner. I decided not to answer, as I didn't want them to get the idea that I was okay with them calling me in the middle of the night. I listened to the message. The guy sounded really hammered and said something like "You did what we asked and that's great. But there's something wrong with it. It's just too... fucking... goofy. We need you to come in again to discuss another idea. Something like from that movie. You know, 'Who you gonna call? Blockbuster! Who you gonna call? Blockbuster! Who you gonna call? Blockbuster!' Except, I know they didn't say Blockbuster. There were ghosts in it. Okay, goodbye." He literally tried to sing the Ghostbusters song without knowing the right words.
I decided to wait until the next morning before returning the call. He didn't answer, so I left a message. He didn't return it. I left another message two days later and another the next week expressing my interest in producing more commercials. He never got back to me. I think he realized what he'd done and felt too embarrassed to return my calls. The guy was kind of a jerk and I didn't appreciate the drunk rambling message in the middle of the night, but I did get paid in full for both commercials. I'm not sure if he counts as Client From Hell.
I worked for another lady back in May who was a friend of a good friend of mine. She thought I would be okay with coming over to her McMansion for $5 an hour to help her figure out the problems she was having trying to get iMovie to work. I fixed all of her mistakes and left a list of basic instructions for how to make the types of videos she wanted. All the while, she gloated about how much money her finished videos were gonna make. Even worse, her late-20s son (who still lives with her and apparently gambles for a living) was in the room to "watch and learn" from me, but he spent most of the time making really awful, conversation-stalling jokes that his mother found hilarious. I went through with it so not to displease my friend and earned $25 in all. I'm not going to work for her again.
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Magic box god; Suck it Corbo
lolClient: ”The site is looking great! However, I’m a bit confused. I thought you said the design was done.”
Me: ”Yep, the ‘visual’ design is complete. Was there something bothering you about it?”
Client: ”Oh no! The design is great, everyone loves it! However, it doesn’t seem to be finished. There are a bunch of pages that look wrong.”
Me: ”How so? Could you show me?”
[The client proceeds to click through his site and eventually comes to an external link that takes the user to Amazon.com]
Client: ”This page looks nothing like our site.”
Me: ”[somewhat confused] That’s because it’s not your site.”
Client: ”But we just got here from our site. Can’t you make it look like ours?”
Me: ”I’m afraid not. That would be like walking over to your neighbor’s home and re-landscaping their yard and painting their house to match your own.”
Client: ”Oh…well that sucks.”
