Comments on: How To Deal With Invasive Clients http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/ The Blog For Freelancers And Web-Workers Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:59:19 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Work From Home Tuesday: Juggling Multiple Clients | Freelancing and Outsourcing Tips, Commentary, Analysis, and News from oDesk http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-29377 Work From Home Tuesday: Juggling Multiple Clients | Freelancing and Outsourcing Tips, Commentary, Analysis, and News from oDesk Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:19:14 +0000 http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/#comment-29377 [...] from Freelance Switch “Setting Your Freelance Project Workload” from Geekpreneur “How to Deal With Invasive Clients” from the Freelance Folder “How to Manage Multiple Writing Projects Simultaneously” from [...] [...] from Freelance Switch “Setting Your Freelance Project Workload” from Geekpreneur “How to Deal With Invasive Clients” from the Freelance Folder “How to Manage Multiple Writing Projects Simultaneously” from [...]

]]> By: Megan http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-5015 Megan Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:07:56 +0000 http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/#comment-5015 Awesome Article. I learned this lesson the hard way when mentoring entrepreneurs on how to build an online business. Since I have set the boundraries, it has helped with dealing with these type of clients. (do they still exist, yes) but it has made it less. In addition it helps the client. As long as you are following a time table and delivering on that they will respect your boundries. Thanks for this , it as a great read Megan Vaillancourt http://www.PassportMentors.com Awesome Article. I learned this lesson the hard way when mentoring entrepreneurs on how to build an online business. Since I have set the boundraries, it has helped with dealing with these type of clients. (do they still exist, yes) but it has made it less. In addition it helps the client. As long as you are following a time table and delivering on that they will respect your boundries.

Thanks for this , it as a great read

Megan Vaillancourt
http://www.PassportMentors.com

]]> By: Coreyb http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-3894 Coreyb Sun, 30 Dec 2007 23:10:56 +0000 http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/#comment-3894 I had a client, who after demanding that I produce his work in two weeks instead of our agreed six, showed up at my door with a base ball bat. Yeah... that was when I got tough on my clients and started enforcing the rules of my contract. Get everything in writing and hold to it. You have to teach your clients with tough love sometimes. Ultimately, it is a win win, they will benefit from learning how to be more professional in business and you keep you sanity (and possibly knee caps.) :D I had a client, who after demanding that I produce his work in two weeks instead of our agreed six, showed up at my door with a base ball bat. Yeah… that was when I got tough on my clients and started enforcing the rules of my contract. Get everything in writing and hold to it. You have to teach your clients with tough love sometimes. Ultimately, it is a win win, they will benefit from learning how to be more professional in business and you keep you sanity (and possibly knee caps.) :D

]]> By: Define Your Role As A Freelancer : Freelance Folder http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-3508 Define Your Role As A Freelancer : Freelance Folder Thu, 20 Dec 2007 07:48:24 +0000 http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/#comment-3508 [...] The more professional you come across, the more your client will respect your abilities and your time. Chances are, they aren’t your only client. It’s up to you to get that [...] [...] The more professional you come across, the more your client will respect your abilities and your time. Chances are, they aren’t your only client. It’s up to you to get that [...]

]]> By: Sharon http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-2847 Sharon Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:26:05 +0000 http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/#comment-2847 I had a client like this. On top of it all, he didn't want to pay but do some sort of "profit sharing." He got all crazy when I quit, leaving me messages and sending me emails. He was in a different time zone than me, and only wanted to do things over the phone, which meant late at night after I was normally asleep. He wasn't worth the trouble. I had a client like this. On top of it all, he didn’t want to pay but do some sort of “profit sharing.” He got all crazy when I quit, leaving me messages and sending me emails. He was in a different time zone than me, and only wanted to do things over the phone, which meant late at night after I was normally asleep. He wasn’t worth the trouble.

]]> By: NSK http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-1025 NSK Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:23:42 +0000 http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/#comment-1025 I use three methods to avoid this kind of abuse: The first method is the use of a client management system I have built and deployed. My most important clients get a password that allows them to access the system, where they can see almost real-time updates about the state of the project, see Gantt charts, file bug reports, or even chat with me over a Web-based client. Clients seem to like it, and I actually plan to someday release parts of the system as free software as it has proven to be very useful and I think other people could benefit from it as well. The system described above is reserved for select big clients for long-lasting (multi-month or multi-year) projects. This is because there would be no resources to support this system to work with all small clients, but I hope in the future to automate it more so that I can let more clients use it. The other two methods described below are for the rest of the normal clients. The second method is that I proactively keep the client updated via email. I send emails daily informing them whether everything proceeds according to the plan. This saves a lot of unneeded phone calls. There are, however, some clients who keep abusing the phone... so I have a third more drastic method for them: A special call-limiting contract, in which calls above a certain reasonable number per week are treated as support requests and are charged accordingly :) Thanks to my two methods above, and the facts that I finish most of the projects ahead of schedule and that 85-90% of my clients themselves prefer email and are Internet-literate, I have never had to actually use this provision. I use three methods to avoid this kind of abuse:

The first method is the use of a client management system I have built and deployed. My most important clients get a password that allows them to access the system, where they can see almost real-time updates about the state of the project, see Gantt charts, file bug reports, or even chat with me over a Web-based client. Clients seem to like it, and I actually plan to someday release parts of the system as free software as it has proven to be very useful and I think other people could benefit from it as well.

The system described above is reserved for select big clients for long-lasting (multi-month or multi-year) projects. This is because there would be no resources to support this system to work with all small clients, but I hope in the future to automate it more so that I can let more clients use it. The other two methods described below are for the rest of the normal clients.

The second method is that I proactively keep the client updated via email. I send emails daily informing them whether everything proceeds according to the plan. This saves a lot of unneeded phone calls.

There are, however, some clients who keep abusing the phone… so I have a third more drastic method for them: A special call-limiting contract, in which calls above a certain reasonable number per week are treated as support requests and are charged accordingly :) Thanks to my two methods above, and the facts that I finish most of the projects ahead of schedule and that 85-90% of my clients themselves prefer email and are Internet-literate, I have never had to actually use this provision.

]]> By: Jon http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-884 Jon Sat, 06 Oct 2007 08:13:23 +0000 http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/#comment-884 @Jigglebilly, that's what I was thinking hehe :) @Jigglebilly, that’s what I was thinking hehe :)

]]> By: Weekly Links << Vandelay Website Design http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-792 Weekly Links << Vandelay Website Design Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:51:53 +0000 http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/#comment-792 [...] How to Deal With Invasive Clients from Freelance Folder [...] [...] How to Deal With Invasive Clients from Freelance Folder [...]

]]> By: Jigglebilly http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-784 Jigglebilly Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:36:09 +0000 http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/#comment-784 @Jon Slamm, you're probably one of those annoying customers, aren't you? @Jon Slamm, you’re probably one of those annoying customers, aren’t you?

]]> By: Joy http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/comment-page-1/#comment-782 Joy Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:04:43 +0000 http://freelancefolder.com/how-to-deal-with-invasive-clients/#comment-782 I think there are really some clients who think that once they paid you to do something for them it also necessarily means that all your time belongs to them. Luckily, I haven't experienced it yet..I just hope I won't be able to in the future..^^ By the way, Thanks for all the tips..I'll keep that handy..just in case..^^ I think there are really some clients who think that once they paid you to do something for them it also necessarily means that all your time belongs to them.

Luckily, I haven’t experienced it yet..I just hope I won’t be able to in the future..^^

By the way, Thanks for all the tips..I’ll keep that handy..just in case..^^

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