4 Lessons I Learned from a Bad Client
Over the past four months I have been slaving over a one month job. I am walking away with only the half I received up front. Though I’m out a lot of time and money, I have learned (and re-learned) several lessons.
1: Have a Contract
I normally require this - always, period, no exceptions. However. This web job was through a friend, and I worked with her throughout the entire job. Not going with a contract is now biting me in the butt.
Always, always, always have a clearly stated contract. That way, if you don’t get paid, you can have a judge to get your payment from the client. A clear-cut contract also removes grey areas like revisions, job requirements, and such.
A great guide for design contracts
2: Record Everything
Always make sure you have everything in writing. This way, you have proof of job requirements, time-lines, and other specifics for personal reference and if you end up hitting the courts.
To increase security on such matters, require an email (or some form of recorded instruction) before you do anything. If your client wants a revision, have them send you an email before you start the revision. That way, if they change their mind and claim they didn’t want you to revise the design, you have proof.
3: Have One Point of Contact
While this isn’t absolutely necessary, like a contract, it is helpful. With this job that screwed me up the butt, communication was a major setback. Several times I was told one thing by one contact, and another by her boss. Having multiple contacts also means more work to keep everyone informed.
Keep it simple. Try and converse with one person, and have that contact converse with the rest of the company.
4: Know Your Client’s Server’s Capabilities
If your client already has a web host or running server, don’t assume it is up to date. I was hoping to use Wordpress as a CMS, but my client’s server was running PHP 4.1.3 while Wordpress required PHP 5.0. A small mis-understanding such as that cost me many hours of work, and probably ended up to the client dropping the job - even though it wasn’t my fault.
It all comes down to clarity I guess.
Make sure you communicate clearly and efficiently and things should go smoothly.
I hope you learned something and are able to keep yourself from running into such trouble.
Good luck in all your design endeavors!