I have a client that we have been trying to develop a logo & website for but each time there is a revision there is always a new issue.  First they ask for 1 thing, then something else and then back to the original.  I specifically have not entered into any contract at this point knowing it is an interior designer & may be difficult to satisfy them.  Now they are frustrated with our services – should I continue to try and complete the on-going task or cut ties??

Please help, any advice would be helpful!!

I probably have fired more clients than I still retain;  and I have gotten fired a number of times as well. As Daniel said, give it your best shot but realize at times you cannot be all things to all people.  You must weigh the potential gains (revenue, referrals, etc.) as versus the potential loss and aggravation in a Ben Franklin methodology – list all the +’s on one side of a piece of paper along with all the -’s on the other side

If and when you get to the end of trail (a salesperson’s final statement) close, it is sometimes better just to walk away.  As a left brained, logical thinker, I find it very, very difficult to relate at times to right brained, artistic types.

@melissaholmes  I always like to “sleep” on testy decisions as well.

John Tabita just finished writing a series of articles for sitepoint.com called Putting a Stop to Abusive Client Behavior

You might find some useful information within them.

Good Luck!
Jules

@melisaholmes  While contracts are best for setting clear expectations, at the end of the day, contracts are only as good as the people who sign them.  Written contracts open the door for endless interpretation when serious disagreements arise.  One can always claim that you’ve breached part of your contract, and it is expensive and stressful to defend yourself, even if it’s obvious that you are compliant.

Feel fortunate that you’ve discovered her unstable behavior early on in the project.  You already know how she communicates, and presenting a new round of revisions is not going to change that.  It is difficult to turn away work, yes, however, sometimes it is the right business decision and best for your mental health.  There is plenty of good business to be had.  If it were me, I would not allow the relationship to continue.

Thanks for the link!  @juleswebb

@melissaholmes

Life is too short to spend any of it with people who cannot make decisions and stick to them. Approval of design work can be agonizing to the designer when it appears that what you’ve slaved over, somehow, just is not quite “it” for the client. 

Depending on your fee structure, work out the bugs.  This is never a pleasant process, no matter how nice, considerate, and kind the people in question are in their dealings with other people. 

I would want to say give her the “boot” but what if this is as good as it gets? Have your other clients been more cooperative, approving and praising of your work? Is this woman disagreeable or just disagreeing with your concept? 

Try to look at this from her side – IF she is not satisfied with your design,WHY isn’t she satisfied?  There could also be a personality clash here, in which case, you would be better off without her business as she is not going to find your work to be satisfying, no matter what. If this is the case, get out now, while you can.

Without knowing the parties involved, it’s hard to give real advice but sometimes OH!pinions can help us see things a tad more clearly.

And sometimes disagreeable people are just a part of the business at hand.

Eileen

Hi @melissaholmes,

I’m so glad you found your way out of this mess. You know i’ve been a client myself for 8 years and i will admit, clients can be a pain.

But there are a few learnings i had during my years as a client.

1. Time is money. Neither sides want to waste any more time than is absolutely necessary.

2. Clarity saves time. Which is why we wrote nearly 5-8 pages of a brief alone and had atleast 2 meetings before we started expecting any creatives or outputs from our agencies. Yes, some people think its too much – but when you do decide to partner with someone, the best way to get great work out of them is to help them understand your business goals & constraints.

3. Have a payment plan that motivates both sides.

In my experience, typically once an agency or service provider won a pitch for a website, they got 20% first so that they could begin the design work. Once design was presented & finalized, we paid them the next leg of 30% to get the website templates in order. And then when they finished the whole website and it was “live” – they would get the next 50%.

I don’t know how you feel about such a payment plan. But I noticed, that the moment a client is forced to pay some money upfront, they begin to take the agency’s time more seriously.

This also works for you. At each stage of delivery you are assured of getting paid. If for some reason, you and your client part ways – atleast you wont walk away feeling cheated of your time & efforts.

I hope this helps you in some way,

Good luck,

@ShipraSaid

@shiprasaid @juleswebb

Thanks ladies for the feedback and suggestions!
Julie – I did notice that our preliminary questionaire does help to see who is actually into a project.  I like the way your’s is so I will definitly be updating ours.