[thelist] Business/Payment Question........

John Corry john at neoncowboy.com
Sat Dec 29 03:25:16 CST 2001


|that wasn't my argument at all... if you have a client for web work,
|and you *cannot* or *will not* provide same day service when they
|request it, then they'll look elsewhere...

Then let 'em!

...and while they're looking elsewhere, I hope the people who know exactly
how it ought to look (they just don't know the software to create it, you
know) will look elsewhere too...and the ones who want me to teach them HTML
so they can make their own changes...and the ones who want to tell me how
long it should take to re-configure Phorm to work on another domain and
change all of the includes so they'll work on the new domain too..and the
ones who know some guy's sister who does web design for $20/hour, so I
should too. They can all go look elsewhere.

Y'know why? Because all those clients do for me is waste time that I could
otherwise spend developing trusting relationships with clients who are
capable of comprehending such a thing.


|the context of the post was that this client *does* expect it, and
|creating a billing arrangement that still allows this *and* protects
|the developer (while benefitting the client) is always worth looking
|at...

It was a pretty good suggestion, but I don't think her client is going to go
for it.

Have you ever been jerked around by a client Aardvark? It's a hard row to
hoe when your out lots of hours, there's no pay in sight and mad people are
suggesting that *you* are the one who is being an asshole.

She identified the client as being a) demanding and b) reluctant to pay. If
you can get that client to pay upfront, you're in the wrong business!

|that's one way to do it... i base my approach on the client... those
|who don't pay don't get their work until they pay (final product),

so if they don't pay, how do they get their work when they pay?

I shudder to think about the attitude some of my tougher, cheaper,
non-trusting, paranoid clients would take toward everything if they were out
a few thousand dollars with nothing to show for it. I can hear them freaking
out about how much more work I owe them, 'I didnt know it was going to take
this long to blah-blah-blah! You were going to blah - blah! I thought surely
for $1000 that you'd have my blah - blah doing blah - blah by now!'

I'm glad you have found a solution for this, but it doesn't sound like a
viable solution to me at all.

Of course, I don't have a grasp on solving all client problems. In fact,
this is a self confessed weak spot in my business. I try to be real up front
about everything and make suggestions that will save my clients money. I
work both by the hour and according to estimates. When I estimate costs, I
stick to my estimates, even at the expense of making $5/hour.

|i hate to say this about
|the other feedback you've gotten,

somehow i doubt that

 but you're probably better off
|disregarding it...


Oh please...your arrogance makes me want to puke sometimes.

whatever.

Sandi, you're lucky to have Aardvark looking after you. God knows what would
happen if you listened to the opinions of several *working professionals* in
this community and then came to a point of decision about how to handle your
situation.

Sorry for the negative tone everyone, but to have one member telling other
members they'd be 'better off' disregarding input from the community kind of
bothers me.

:)
jpc





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