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painful client, what would you do?

findtim

Top Contributor
i've got a pseudo client, they don't host with me but come to me for website fixes, not sure hwy they don't get the guy who built it to do it??
anyway i did some work 4 moths ago $120 so no biggy but then no payment, no contact, no return contact ! as it happens the plugin updated and broke, simple fix but still no contact?
fonrt end working but wp-admin all stopped so i needed cpanel to fix it and i don't host.
so toady i get a phone call, " my form doesn't work"..........
yeh, i know, i've sent emails and made phone calls but no response.
enter sob-story of life in general......... ok fine, we all cool, so pay the bill and i'll fix the plugin today if i get a chance. as i do have other things to do !!!!
well 4 hours later i get an email " when do you think it will be fixed??????"
f me ! there are other clients work as well.
so my reply was firm but polite, i wonder if my bill has been paid?

i soooooooo wanted to just say "when i get around to it"

what would you do?

tim
 

ErezY

Regular Member
In my web dev days, 8 years ago, I got a comment from a long time client I will never forget for the rest of my life. Here is the conversation about an $800 invoice for a FULL dynamic website :

Client: Can you make the bill cheaper
Me: No, a lot of hours went into creating this site
Client: Oh, but I'm not sure if this concept will work or not

WHAT??

Tim I feel your pain, people just do not appreciate the time, effort and expertise needed to deliver great work.

I've learnt that there is no shame in telling it straight, "Please pay my last bill before I can schedule you in for the next job." I would also tell your client there is a surcharge for urgent work. Clients generally don't move away once they have a good rapport with a developer, so hike up your price, if he stays, great, if he goes awesome!
 

helloworld

Top Contributor
$120 is not worth losing a client. What is the clients lifetime value including referrals?. I'm owed 13k from one company, a family business. I figure it's a write off. Not cause I am that soft I can't chase a bill but if I went too hard I would lose the client. Lose their referral network, and lose their monthly commitment. It's crap, but I will keep plugging. I wouldn't be so carefree with everyone though.... pick your battles
 

findtim

Top Contributor
pick your battles
yep, she came from one of my GOOD clients who is worth @ 7-8k per year EVERY year.........so last thing i want is her bitching about me at a party together !!!
i've often had $120 clients turning thousands, we just completed a 3rd upgrade for 1 such customer so thats a total of 1500 + 2000+ 2000+ over time, ( note not complete redo's, just as an example this one to turn it into responsive design )

tim
 

ErezY

Regular Member
$120 is not worth losing a client. What is the clients lifetime value including referrals?. I'm owed 13k from one company, a family business. I figure it's a write off. Not cause I am that soft I can't chase a bill but if I went too hard I would lose the client. Lose their referral network, and lose their monthly commitment. It's crap, but I will keep plugging. I wouldn't be so carefree with everyone though.... pick your battles

So that's how the 20/80 rule applies? ;)
 

helloworld

Top Contributor
So that's how the 20/80 rule applies? ;)
Correct. Don't bite the hand that feeds you is another. I just had a look at a couple of referrals from them which totalled 160k (this will go up) so yeah, makes sense not to worry about the little things.
 

helloworld

Top Contributor
I just emailed these guys to ask if I am writing this off for tax. Maybe that will get something going lol
 

findtim

Top Contributor
i heard a good one, what you do is send them a birthday card.
congratulations, its now been one year since you received my invoice.

i bought a .com from an american in 2002 and thats exactly what happened, so i sent " happy birthday, its now been 1 year since you got my money, unfortunately i didn't get the domain"

he fixed up straight away.

tim
 

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