Argh!
Some clients just do not appreciate the work that I do. If they have a problem with my work then perhaps they should stop asking me to help them out. One of these clients claims that "Nobody down here knows how to type! Not even you." Excuse me?
A while back I typed some document for him and yes, although I proofread, sometimes I miss things - that is why I ask all of my clients to read and reread and reread their work before getting stuff printed. Well, this was one letter and he made one measly copy of it (and it wasn't like a 50-page report either, it was about 2 pages only... he just doesn't know how to use a computer). Well, he sat down with me, read it and said "okay make me a copy."
I did not make any typos, except that I wrote down something for other. A swap of letters. Well, I do not claim to be the best typer in the world... nor am I great at spelling or grammar, but that's why a client is responsible for checking their things. If they find anything amiss, I gladly change it. No problemo - my mistake. Well, we are talking 20 cents for the fricken copy and then my typing time (made him a favor and did not charge him a full hour even though he kept me busy for almost a whole one because the man isn't even capable of scrolling a page), so it was a total of like $3.20 (I should have charged 12.20, how nice am I?). The next day he came back and told me about the swapped letters. No problem, I pulled out the saved document and made him another print - no charge (20 cents, no biggie right?).
Well... it has been about 2 months since that incident and he had never brought it up until today. I was like.. WTF! Well here comes the why:
I made a small site for him. Nothing big, he went for the basics because he did not want to pay much. That was my mistake... I should not come to compromises with anyone regarding my work. If they can't pay then I should not give them my time. But *sighs* business is starting and we aren't doing that great so I said... why not? A few extra bucks are better than none at all. His site had been up and operational since last December. He is usually out of town and he had come on the 24 near closing time and asked me to please, please hurry and put 'something' because he wanted to have his site up and running that same day. So I spoiled my Xmas working on his project. It is March now... the End of March now so free updates have pretty much expired - I give 1 to 3 months of updates on pages depending on what type of site I make; his qualified for a month.
A week ago he walked into the store and asked me if I could give him a few minutes to make some changes to his site. I said I could not on that day because I was very, very busy, but if he came another day (preferably scheduled) that it would be no problem. He said it was nothing big just wanted to give me what to do, etc. Apparently he needed it done 'pronto.' I said, "Alright, but it still cannot be done today. But whenever we do sit down to talk about it then I can go ahead and take down all information and pass you the bill. Or you can just write it down and I will get to it as soon as I finish what I am doing at the moment." Well, he got stuck on the word 'bill.' Asked how much it would be and I simply said $75. His eyes popped out. "$75 dollars?! It is just a little change!"
"Well, yes. That is my monthly fee for updates on existing pages."
"But I just need you to take stuff out and add some small paragraphs. $75 dollars for that?!"
"It is a monthly fee, not a fee per change."
"it's too much."
"I do not think you appreciate what I am doing here, Sir. I spent 6 years in schools for this." That's right... Bachelors and a Master degree. This guy is a truck driver, he gets paid $1000 a month for just sitting on his butt driving the thing. I know this because he told me. And he's crying for $75 a month?! That's about 2.50 a day! HELLOOOOO!
"No, no. forget it. Leave things as they are." and he left.
That was then. Today he walks in at around noon and asks if I could give him a few minutes at around 3:30 - he needed to talk about the site. I said, "3:30, sure. I should be done with this machine by then." I was troubleshooting a machine at the time.
He did not show until 5:54... We close at 6 p.m. So I took my notebook and stepped out to check his site and take notes on changes. He said he needed some changes, minor ones, and that if I could give him credit and he'd pay me later because he couldn't pay right now for the change. "No problem. Like I explained last week, this fee is monthly."
"Oh, you are going to charge me every month?"
"No, just when you need it. If you don't make any changes in three months then no problem."
"Ohhh! Okay then." so he gave me all changes, etc., etc. and then asked, "Can I trust that you will make this changes correctly?"
Hmmm... what? I looked down at my notebook and began to read my notes to him, while scrolled through pages to pinpoint where those changes were to occur.
"No, no. I mean, can I trust that you won't make mistakes?"
"Well I will do what you told me. If it is not written here then I will not do it. Make sure you give me everything you need done."
"Well, I am saying because last time you did that typo on that letter, remember?"
"Oh. Ohhhh! Okay, yes I remember. Well, I always do ask that you proof read everything."
"But I am leaving today so I won't be able to do it." heh... last time he didn't do it either and he wasn't leaving town just yet. "Nobody down here knows how to type! Not even you."
O_o
I laughed, "Everyone makes mistakes."
"Well yes you are right. I guess you are one of the best down here but you aren't perfect."
That's right. I am not... I've never claimed to be; therefore my policy, which I give to all my clients before they ask me to do anything for them. We are not responsible for misprints. We make proofs before printing or going on the web. A client is responsible for checking them. If they approve it, we run it. That time with the letter, he pinpointed the typo and I corrected it. Like I said, we had not run like 200 copies of it, we only made 1... which was replaced with the corrected one immediately.
"Are you going to work on this right now?"
I looked at the system clock - 6:13 p.m. "Not likely. I need to backup computers and close the store." Perhaps if he had actually shown up to the appointment at THREE-THIRTY as we had agreed I would have been nice enough to do as much as possible during the remainder of the day... but he did not. Plus my dad does the accounting for the day as soon as he gets there (generally at 5:30) and he uses my office for that.
"This weekend then?"
"I do not come on the weekends." I was going to say unless I have something unfinished... but he would have said his stuff was unfinished. But there is no way I would go to the office just to work on his site. He isn't even paying me right now plus I have other sites... projects that have scheduled before his. "I will do it as soon as I finish other things in my schedule."
"When then?"
"Don't worry. It will be done next week."
"But when? Monday?" his tone was getting loud.
Geessssh. "As soon as I can get to it, but won't go over next week."
"Make it quick. I sent several letters out the other day and they will be arriving soon so I don't want people to see the site info as it is now." Well hello! Maybe he should have given me the notes Before he sent out those letters. "Now remember, I have priority here. I was your first client!"
I was upset now. "Um... no you were not."
"Yes I was."
"No. You were not. I have had clients with me for years already. Your changes will be done when I can squeeze them in." Even if he had been my first client, right now he is not my Only client. Others have given me work to do on their sites before this so this one has to wait its turn.
"Oh, okay." I guess he finally got the fact that the world does not revolve around him and that I am not just sitting, waiting to see what gets stuck up his butt. He got up, got some packages he had waiting for him and left.
...I am not talking to him about projects unless he makes appointments and keeps them.
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