Re: FN-FORUM: Angry Pickle

date posted 9th November 2007 14:40

Hi Jon,

I would suggest that you drop the client by politely explaining that
you have now taken on more clients who require a greater committment
which leaves no time to continue working on the project with him.
Tell him you'll complete to the agreed spec by the agreed deadline,
but that beyond that he will need to find a new developer if he
wishes to continue the work.

You really do need to explain that in person, not email. You can
follow it up with an email (audit trail), but also take the
opportunity to explain your frustrations if you can.

Keep it free of emotion, business-like and professional.

Your client will either lose his rag (at which point you can simply
point out that you are not prepared to work in that manner), offer to
pay and keep to spec (in which case you can re-think) or meekly
accept (in which case you know you were right... and so does he).

I'm sure you already get a spec drawn up and agreed, but the lesson
we learnt earlier this year was that without a schedule it is
impossible to track what's going on, clients can add in other
features at last minute and generally pressure you to 'just do this
little bit extra...'

Hope this helps,

Hal

--


On 9 Nov 2007, at 10:45, Jon Hughes wrote:

>
> Morning all,
>
> I find myself in a bit of a pickle today and would like your thoughts.
>
>
> One of my clients is beginning to make me supremely angry. He
> perpetually haggles on costs, always complains of having no budget,
> doesn't understand or value design, and has a knack of revealing
> deadlines hours before work is due. He's also rude, a shockingly poor
> payer and is by no means one of my more financially reliant clients.
> His haphazard way of working is beginning to impact my printer with
> whom
> I have an excellent relationship and wouldn't want it damaged in any
> way.
>
> I've tried managing him alongside the projects we work on, but the
> process always collapses.
>
> So my plight is, do I tell this client where to go or suffer his
> mind-numbingly stupid behaviour for ever and always?
>
> I think I've just answered my own question...
>
> But, has anyone else had to dump a client? I'd rather compose an
> email
> than speak to him on the phone (it's like talking to a remedial brick
> wall) but is that a bit weak? I fear he wouldn't remember a phone
> call
> anyway.
>
> Jon Hughes
>
>
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