jecasc
msg:4234826 | 9:11 am on Nov 25, 2010 (gmt 0) |
Not to forget the client that wants his website for free, but promises to tell all of his friends that you made it. Then everyone will want you to make a website and you will be rich in no time. In fact - for offering you this great opportunity you should be paying him to let you make your website.
Or the client that wants you to ad little feature to his website. Should be no problem at all to implement, five minutes works to the max. All you would have to do ist add a little button there on the left side of the navigation bar. When he just asked you to implement a feature in the website that would be like asking the car mechanic to add a 4 Wheel Drive to your car. I am sure the mechanics biggest problem is where to put the button to activate it.
Reminds me of this:
[theoatmeal.com...]
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g1smd
msg:4234862 | 11:34 am on Nov 25, 2010 (gmt 0) |
Single pieces of missing content, and missing images are not an issue. They get a standard placeholder image - and when they complain that the image is missing, it's simple - "you haven't supplied it".
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wyweb
msg:4234912 | 2:42 pm on Nov 25, 2010 (gmt 0) |
Nicely done DXL...
I might add -
The Ghost Partner: A few months ago I had a client who signed off on everything I put in front of him. The words "Exceptional" and "Outstanding" were littered throughout his emails and phone conversations. I had no other contact point but him and had assumed he had final approval power.
After considerable time and effort on my part I get a very ominous email one morning informing me that work I had been led to believe was finished would need to be okayed by his partner, a partner I hadn't even known existed until then.
2 days later a 10K change list followed.
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DXL
msg:4235143 | 5:31 am on Nov 26, 2010 (gmt 0) |
I've had to deal with that exact situation before.
The more common spin on it is when a business manager gives a personal stamp of approval on each step of project development. Right when we're about to launch, the actual business owner (who I was given the impression was always in the loop) decides that he completely hates the layout.
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enigma1
msg:4235330 | 4:44 pm on Nov 26, 2010 (gmt 0) |
| Here is a profile list I've written for those that aren't so great. |
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Seems to be a long list. Too many unhappy ones and to tell you the truth I don't see anything out of the ordinary. All of the points show poor communication with your clients and/or high expectations on your part. If the client is an expert in SEO, web layout, management, marketing etc., he wouldn't be talking to you.
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topr8
msg:4235333 | 4:59 pm on Nov 26, 2010 (gmt 0) |
>>All of the points show poor communication with your clients and/or high expectations on your part
this is foo! i think the OP was trying to be frivolous and entertaining...
... and i WAS amused, it was a fun list and well labelled!
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Demaestro
msg:4235337 | 5:29 pm on Nov 26, 2010 (gmt 0) |
The Used Car Salesmen: Right before asking you to submit a quote for the work he tells you that he has already received some great quotes under what he was originally budgeting for, but wants to see if you can best them.
On a real note, the ghost partner can be somewhat dealt with by including a paragraph in your work contract where the client contact with approval authority is defined and named. Although I am sure that wouldn't stop some similar situations at least it gives you leverage.
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weeks
msg:4235467 | 11:12 pm on Nov 26, 2010 (gmt 0) |
The Pseudo-Webmaster: They have bought costly hosting from a company you've never heard of with enough bandwidth to run CNN, expensive stock photos which are not appropriate and they also had an unworkable logo created in light blue and yellow. You only find out about all of this after you take the job, with the department head saying, "use what I have bought so we don't look bad."
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weeks
msg:4235469 | 11:16 pm on Nov 26, 2010 (gmt 0) |
Re, the Ghost Partner: Their spouse doesn't like it.
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DXL
msg:4235481 | 12:19 am on Nov 27, 2010 (gmt 0) |
| Re, the Ghost Partner: Their spouse doesn't like it. |
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This happens a lot =D
Not unusual for a designer that gets more than five clients a year ;)
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wyweb
msg:4235542 | 6:37 am on Nov 27, 2010 (gmt 0) |
In all fairness you can write a contract that will eliminate, or at least protect you in any of these situations. It'll be 30 pages long and any prospective clients that aren't completely scared away by it will be left thinking you're a total paranoiac.
I've won over many clients with a "down home - I'm right next door" approach. I do a lot of Mom and Pops who make scented candles in their garage or goats milk soap in their bathroom. I've had to walk some of them through step by step instructions on how to attach images to their emails. One memorable client wasn't even quite sure how to use the brand new digital camera she'd just bought, this in spite of having the user manual right in front of her face. Terminology overwhelms some of these people. A work contract that covered every conceivable base I could be concerned with would send them running for the hills.
Conversely, I've dealt with companies in the past that knew exactly what they wanted, had a front man who was web savvy and quick to respond to any questions I had. They're rare though and the ones with deep pockets and a willingness to spend are even rarer. I've learned over the years to tailor my initial consult to the feedback I'm getting from my client. 30 page contracts are appropriate for some. For others they're a deal breaker. If I had 10 designers on my staff this might not matter as much to me. I'm a one-man show and if I need to be gentle to get the job I will be very, very gentle.
There are other approaches of course. This one keeps me busy though. I sub out more work than I do myself these days.
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cmnetworx
msg:4235563 | 7:37 am on Nov 27, 2010 (gmt 0) |
This list is so true.
I had one client that was a Lemonade Maker, Googler, Fantasy client bundled..
On top of that I would get text messages all hours of the night about minor changes to the website she desired. This went on for weeks and then she won a "$3,000 valued website" from some other company and ended up using the one I designed for about a month. A good lesson is the only positive thing I can think came from that..
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tangor
msg:4235575 | 8:31 am on Nov 27, 2010 (gmt 0) |
I have a clause in my contract that says "If client contacts webmaster more than once a week, all fees will be doubled." Seems to get the message across.
(I wish!) Bwahahahaha!
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jecasc
msg:4235593 | 9:08 am on Nov 27, 2010 (gmt 0) |
The SEO expert from yesteryear: Hands over a list of keywords that have nothing to do with his business whatsoever and wants them stuffed at the bottom of his website.
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milosevic
msg:4236174 | 9:39 am on Nov 29, 2010 (gmt 0) |
| Single pieces of missing content, and missing images are not an issue. They get a standard placeholder image - and when they complain that the image is missing, it's simple - "you haven't supplied it". |
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Love it, will have to remember that :)
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graeme_p
msg:4236249 | 1:18 pm on Nov 29, 2010 (gmt 0) |
I have only ever done three client sites (its a sideline, I spend most of my time on my own sites), and I try do to development and all round webmastering rather than design, but I have already come across:
The cloner: wants it to be exactly like a site they decided they like.
The low tech: Cannot manage to learn to use the CMS, and comes to you for evey change
"I just need a simple site": I tell them I have a minimum fee. I know exactly how simple its going to be by the time we are through.
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DXL
msg:4236466 | 10:32 pm on Nov 29, 2010 (gmt 0) |
| In all fairness you can write a contract that will eliminate, or at least protect you in any of these situations. It'll be 30 pages long and any prospective clients that aren't completely scared away by it will be left thinking you're a total paranoiac. |
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That's the tricky part.
We just need to figure out how to make it work for us like construction companies do with their contract rules on change requests:
[i211.photobucket.com...]
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wyweb
msg:4236933 | 5:01 pm on Nov 30, 2010 (gmt 0) |
Nice boat.
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