Clients, god they **** me off.
Discussion
I've been contracted to do a job for a client of a friend.
Having gone through the sceheme with her, i've had a look at it and come up with a couple of proposals.
In order to make it viable I have told her and her cohort that they need to do XYZ.
Her: Oh, we can't afford that.
Me: The scheme won't be viable otherwise.
Her: We still want it doing, though. The last person we got to look at it said it could be done, but they were too expensive.
There's a f
king reason for that! Because of the ties with my firend I can't increase my fee for it so now i'm making a loss because she wants it done but can't afford to have it done properly.
She keeps telling me how clever her and her family are, but she hasn't got a fking clue!
Do I do it and make a loss or just bin it and walk away?
Having gone through the sceheme with her, i've had a look at it and come up with a couple of proposals.
In order to make it viable I have told her and her cohort that they need to do XYZ.
Her: Oh, we can't afford that.
Me: The scheme won't be viable otherwise.
Her: We still want it doing, though. The last person we got to look at it said it could be done, but they were too expensive.
There's a f
king reason for that! Because of the ties with my firend I can't increase my fee for it so now i'm making a loss because she wants it done but can't afford to have it done properly.She keeps telling me how clever her and her family are, but she hasn't got a f
king clue!Do I do it and make a loss or just bin it and walk away?
Your not are you?!
It never ceases to amaze me how cheap 95% of people are. They want a rolls royce but only want to pay for a used nissan micra, and then they are suprised when you won't entertain the idea.
They then have the nerve to come out with "oh so and so said they could do it for that price.." then why aren't you getting them to do it, instead of wasting my time?
If a friendship is at stake you may need to tread carefully as you run away, but run away you must!
They then have the nerve to come out with "oh so and so said they could do it for that price.." then why aren't you getting them to do it, instead of wasting my time?
If a friendship is at stake you may need to tread carefully as you run away, but run away you must!
Cafe Racer said:
I can't increase my fee for it so now i'm making a loss because she wants it done but can't afford to have it done properly.
With low margin / loss making work I am always very very aggressive in moving the fee to a level that delivers a good return and walking if the client won't pay it. I have doubled the fee on recurring engagements before now. Why would you even consider the alternative? MentalSarcasm said:
Cafe Racer said:
Only problem is that if I can make this work he'll get a lot out of it.
to say the least.
He'll get a lot out of it, but what will you get out of it, other than losing some money and increasing your stress levels a bit more? I to say the least.
If you do the job cheap, you'll devalue your service. As you said yourself, it's expensive for a reason and the client has already been quoted by someone else who was just as expensive.Don't do it.
I think the MD at my first job said it best; after putting down the phone following a very reasonable sounding conversation, a loud, Welsh-accented "Bloody customers!" echoed around the building...
Bin it. If you do it once, she'll be back.
Bin it. If you do it once, she'll be back.
Edited by grumbledoak on Saturday 15th November 12:24
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