Red Flags: Identifying Nightmare Clients Before It's Too Late

Red Flags: Identifying Nightmare Clients Before It’s Too Late

June 9, 2010 in Freelance Tips and Tricks - Viewed 91 times.

Alright, I’m starting to think there’s something in the water. I’ve been hearing from friends and colleagues about some awful experiences with nightmare clients. In fact, I’ve had a few myself in the past few months. Despite providing freelance work for quite some time now, I’m still amazed at the things some people say and do, so I’ve put together a list of “red flags”, as well as some ways to avoid these types of people.

“We’re launching the next Google, and want you to be OUR go-to guy!”

If this person is within reaching distance, slap them across the face. First, let’s get real… you’re not launching the next Google… second, even if you were… why? You TRULY believe Google isn’t thinking about launching the next Google? And I can imagine they probably aren’t scrounging for freelancers on Craigslist to help out. Statements like these are a serious red flag. Typically, when someone makes a claim similar to what’s above, they’re really trying to say… “I came up with an idea, I don’t know how to implement it, so I’d like you to create it for free… and I’ll keep the money.” Be wary.

“I’ve already received bids from other providers, and I’m willing to pay $500.”

Now, I’m not judging those who offer work at rates near the $500 range… the true issue here is the thought process behind this statement. By taking a low-ball offer that was given by some provider in who-knows-where, and using that as a tool for negotiation, this client is setting the tone for what will be an awful relationship. Don’t compromise and lessen your pricing to accommodate this egomaniacal, reckless, and unintelligent approach to conducting business. Remember that your pricing is a direct reflection of the value of your services. By decreasing your prices, you’re saying your services are now worth less. I get these emails every so often, and respond the same way, by saying… “My pricing is a direct reflection of my services. If you’d like a website valued at $500, I recommend you pursue the provider who issued that quote. If you’d like a website valued at [$x], I’d be happy to work with you.” Case point.

“My dog ate my contract.”

Weird… my dog ate your website. Contracts are important, and should always be put in place and agreed upon prior to beginning any work. Be sure to have both digital and hard copies on file to ensure you’re capable of holding both yourself and your client accountable to the project scope and terms. By providing work outside of a contractual agreement, you’re undoubtedly setting yourself up for failure.

“Hey, could you call Sandy about the color scheme? When you’re done with that, send Scott an email about the CMS. Be sure to keep me updated as well.”

Watch out! Situations like this quickly turn into huge headaches. When drafting your contract, be sure to establish a single point of contact. Communication is key to success… and unfortunately, people often have different views on how a product should turn out. Take the work of tracking down and communicating with multiple individuals out of your hands, and leave it in the hands of your client. If multiple people are behind the management of a project, they should meet and consolidate their ideas to ensure they’re first on the same page, and THEN present them to you.

“We had a developer, and now he’s gone missing.”

Granted, I’ve seen this go both ways… but most of the time, this means something is up with the client. It could be that they had unrealistic expectations and the previous developer was the victim of some scope creep, or, it could be that this client is actually a serial killer and they’ll be using the address on your invoice to track you down. Either way, it’s probably not a good thing. Do a bit of digging around and ask some targeted (yet non-obstrusive) questions to get a better understanding as to why the previous developer left – and at what point did he/she leave. If you decide to move forward with this particular client, be cautious. Outline everything in your contract, and be sure they sign off before conducting any business.

“You need to design my website in WordPress. You also have to have this done in 24 hours. Be sure to power off your cell phone and lock your door before starting work. Oh yeah, where a red shirt… I heard the color red helps people focus.”

Now, I haven’t encountered one of these before… but a good friend of mine just severed ties with a pushy client like this. Just like you need your clients, your clients need you. They should treat you with the same respect by which you treat them. If a client begins to overstep their boundaries, be sure to let them know (politely) that you’re uncomfortable with their approach, and it needs to stop. Typically, by voicing your concern, further confrontationscan be avoided and business can carry on as usual. Sometimes, you won’t have such luck. In these types of situations it’s best to fulfill your obligations and get out of there.

Comments

Jun 9
2010

Tom W:

Nice. From someone who has been there, too, I’d agree with all said here. Freelancers, in particular, have the challenge that prices are expected to be low. Open source, while cool in one way, hurts in others because the price point of your work should be proportional with the cost of the base open source components …

Right?

Wrong!

Putting estimates in place based on careful thinking and appropriate time valuation is critical.

I think it is worth commenting about how to keep code away from clients until they pay for final work, too …

Nice article!
Jun 18
2010

Allan:

Bullseye! You have mentioned all the possible red alert clients. And this is not only the case with freelancers, even when you are running your organization, you will get to meet these kind of clients.

I will not say that these clients are nightmares but sure pain in the neck they are. And this is happening too often these days. Probably because of the people sitting in small countries charging way too less and giving shitty quality to the clients. Most of the clients only like what they see, and forget about the development part and many of them do not know what a good design is.

and when some good freelancer get stuck with a client who had bad experience or being an smart ass, i guess that’s the time when pain starts.

Your article will help all the freelancers and people who are suffering from insomnia because of their clients.