Ok, I get what you guys are saying, sorry if I seemed patronising, the point I was trying to get accross was that sometimes you need to work to keep clients. If you are not in this position, then it’s good for you.

just my 0.02c - keep posting rvdavid :)

I didn’t know how to answer that, so I asked him what his experience was. He said he had extensive phpnuke experience.

The next email was the termination notice. That was very satisfying that the next time I looked at his company’s “powered by php nuke” web site, it looked like it WAS a php nuke website complete with missing information and screwed up invalid HTML.

I found out through my old contact that they had to get another freelancer to fix the screwed up site who overcharged them big time!

I was happy I dropped them because I’ve just finished working on their competitors website which kciks their overpriced sites a$$ in features alone.

I try not to work toward a win win situation, but more a win (for me). I’m very stern and purposefully inflexible. If the client keeps with me, then they are either without choice or like their place in the relationship.

Once you’ve been around the block enough, you’ll realise that there are GOOD clients and then there are BAD ones. That my friend is reality - and the sooner you realise that the better.

Check out related article..

> I’ll be frank. I think you’re over reacting.

Agreed. But “they started it” :P

> You need to hang in there, dealing with clients
> like these are the ones that give you bread
> and butter stuff.

A potentially difficult client that gives you jobs once every 6 months is “bread and butter stuff”? How do you figure that?

> We offer a service, yes, but part of that
> service is to calm clients fears.

If you were in marketing or sales maybe, but the service I offer is my expertise in web development.

I’ve seen some apps that would fall apart if you changed ANYTHING in the way of simple functionality and/or variables.

> Maybe things would have been different
> if you went over and met with your “contact”

Maybe it’s you who should actually see what the real world is like. Do you actually freelance? Have you been to meetings? Meetings are useful at times and are cool when you start attending them, it makes you feel important, but generally consist of “noise” and repetition instead of “signals” and new information.

We had an app already built, the contact wanted to changes some things. Give me a list of things to change and I’ll execute with professionally automatic fervour. If there are things I need clarified, I’ll ask you, if there are 10 things I need clarified, I’ll meet with you.

> (btw: gw with keeping the anonymity
> and sex of the client haha).

Thanks it was written as such. There’s no need to name name’s when ranting - it becomes personal then.

>You should try and finish it ahead of time and
> show the contact how good you are, if it keeps on
> going on like this, then go through the proper
> channels to keep the business.

Well, I’m onto my last task for the iteration regarding finishing it ahead of time, but regarding the proper channels, the contact being the contact, which channel am I going to go to? straight to the CEO? :P

Thanks for the advice but really, I’ve already thought this through as irrational as my rant may have seemed, it was really a measured choice weighed using pros and cons comparisons.

> Welcome to the real world! Everyone I’ve dealt
> with is like this and I’ve managed to keep
> them all with me. Some screwed me over, but
> I still got money out of them.

I didn’t realise that the world was so ignorantly optimistic. Maybe you’ve got one of those “I get knocked down, but I get up again” attitudes. That is very commendable, the rest of us however just drop difficult clients like they were soap lathered bowling balls.

And like you said, you still got screwed over. I’m trying to avoid getting screwed over so potential screwer overers are treated as such.

These clients are for guys like you ;)

ps mic is a very successful entrepreneur he’s no fanboy. Please be nice to other commentators.

You need to hang in there, dealing with clients like these are the ones that give you bread and butter stuff.

We offer a service, yes, but part of that service is to calm clients fears. Maybe things would have been different if you went over and met with your “contact” (btw: gw with keeping the anonymity and sex of the client haha).

Unlike your fanboy mic, I’m going to advise that you go against your primal urges and give them another chance.

I know you’ve been through this before with the other client throwing money at you, but every case is different.

You should try and finish it ahead of time and show the contact how good you are, if it keeps on going on like this, then go through the proper channels to keep the business.

Welcome to the real world! Everyone I’ve dealt with is like this and I’ve managed to keep them all with me. Some screwed me over, but I still got money out of them.

This client lit a fire under my belly somethin’ severe. I’m actually 1 day ahead of schedule with this iteration. :)

blog on bro! Mic