I am currently working on a contract basis for a local fast food franchise location. The job seemed interesting—getting their Facebook and Twitter up and running. Their office manager had started these profiles, but they were failing abysmally due to poor management and a lack of understanding of social media.

After working for them for three months on a trial basis, I’ve far exceeded all their goals, such as quadrupling fans and page interactions. However, the owner is hostile and defensive when we meet. She has repeatedly told me she has no interest in social media and no intention of learning anything about it. At the same time, she constantly questions what I’m doing and refuses to allow me more than three paid hours per week. Additionally, the office manager is upset she is not doing social media (even though she has no experience) and is very defensive and hostile.

My direct contact is the marketing director (who also has no experience in social media). It’s a battle to get her to call me back or send me relevant information so I can generate content. Also, she sends me frantic texts at all hours of the night. I’ve tried generating content calendars and sending her recap emails of our meetings, but nothing seems to help.

So I need a little advice—do I just bear it and keep doing the best I can or move on? I enjoy the extra money, but it’s really wearing me down to be constantly attacked and my work questioned in such an unprofessional way.

@comamy Have to agree with the post above from Joan.  It is not worth your frustration to keep dealing with a client like this.  It is difficult on many levels dealing with people who are unfamiliar with what it really takes to conduct Social Media successfully but continue to belittle or undermine the process.  Not really sure what you can salvage from this situation as it has been occurring for 3 months and, most importantly, not sure you should want to!  Good luck, and just know that you gave them a quality effort and you can take that knowledge and move on!

I would recap all the work you’ve done, achievements and milestones reached.  Then outline a working plan that they should execute to continue the work (whether or not they do is up to them).  Then bow out gracefully. 

If they reach out as to why you aren’t continuing, tactfully explain their lack of cooperation and support in a way that would make them understand that without their reasonable partnership it is impossible to do your best on their behalf.  They may not get it now, but it may make them rethink later on.

Good luck!

@comamy I agree with John … let them know they are not up to your caliber and that you need to let them go if they don’t see the benefit of your work.

Do you have a website? That is where I get most of my clients from. Also are you on LInkedIn? That is my second most plentiful client resource.

@comamy

It sounds like the owner doesn’t see the value in social relationships.  It’s likely she’s want a social presence because “everyone else is doing it”.  If you’ve tried educating her on the benefits of social marketing and showed her how they are benefiting her business (real ROI), there is likely not much else you can do to change her mind.  

I’ve had one client that after working with her a year and a half and building her business literally from the ground up…I had to throw in the towel.  She was extremely demanding of my time and not wanting to pay for all of it (work 60-80 hours a week, get paid 20 hours).  I loved the work but in the end the amount of stress it caused just wasn’t worth it.  

Go with your gut and do what you feel is right.  

Hi Amy,

Everyone here is 100% right. Gently but firmly fire your client.

I find that someone who does not value your time or your work will almost always say something negative about you even after you have left. While hearsay shouldn’t bother you, if someone from that firm said something unflattering about your professional caliber – it might hurt you more than them.

• That’s why i would take it one step ahead and make a pdf document that outlined how their business has grown under your care. Use graphs & annotations where ever needed.
• Email the document to both the Marketing director as well as this manager. Say that you have enjoyed growing their business, which was at ‘X’ 3 months ago and has reached ‘Y’ today with an engagement rate of ‘Z’.
• Go on to say that from the discussions with the manager it appears that either social media marketing is not a priority for them or they want no more than 20hrs a week on their SM efforts, instead of the 60-70hrs a week that you’ve been putting in these 3 months.
• If it is the latter, you’d be happy to re-assess the relationship and work out a mutually beneficial arrangement. If not, you are appreciative of them giving you the opportunity to work on their business.

Shipra

(@comamy)

Hi Amy, I completely agree with what everyone else has said here. WOW, that sure is a lot of stress you’ve been under but at least you have something to show them for your efforts. I do agree to do up a report highlighting what you have accomplished and forwarding it to the manager and whoever else needs it. That way there is a hard copy of all your work plus the results for future reference. Very good luck to you.