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All solitary dreamers know that they hear differently when they close their eyes.
-Gaston Bachelard

Notes from Notchcode

7.13.2006

Fire a Client? You Bet!

Sometimes there are jobs that, for one reason or another, you just can't pass up. Maybe your income is a little low for the quarter. Perhaps it's a high-profile client. Maybe you're doing somebody a favor. In any case, you take the job, even if a little part of your brain is telling you "stop! This is nuts! They're trouble! I can feel it!"

Down the line, you find out that little part of your brain is proved right. Some clients just can't help being rude, irresponsible, or overbearing. And for a price/exposure/good karma, you can take it--for a while. But what happens when their behavior becomes more than just irritating, unprofessional, or bothersome? Do you stick it out, hoping for another job that will keep you in cash, or bring you more exposure?

I say: no.

Yes, you may be losing money by not banging your head against unreturned voice mail. You may be losing precious exposure in the business community by not allowing your client to circumvent the creative process. But enough is enough.

Is it really work a few hundred, or even thousand, dollars to wake up in the morning and dread going to work? Nope. For those of us who are running our own shops, isn't that why we left "working for the man" to someone else, anyway?

Is having a great piece in your portfolio worth the stress, headaches, and loss of sleep that dealing with a client like this brings? No chance. There are always other chances to shine.

Now, I am not talking about "normal" stress, deadlines, pressures, or other issues that inevitably come with the territory. I'm talking about bullies who, in either a passive/aggressive, or just plain aggressive, way, keep you from performing at your best. You know the type:

They ask you to bid on a job and never call you back, even to say "no". But then they e-mail to ask for copies of their final text files that they used in their latest brochure.

They hound you to produce a piece, then put it on hold, then expect it to be ready to print/upload when they call out of the blue months later.

What do these examples have in common? They all show a lack of respect. And where there is a lack of respect, there is a lack of trust. And where there is a lack of trust, it is impossible to make great design. We need to trust our clients, and they must trust us; otherwise, the end result is guaranteed to be mediocre. Think of all the mediocre pieces you've created. Some are mediocre because of time or budget constraints, sure. But I'm willing to bet over half of those projects that had bland endings had plenty of time and adequate cash on hand to get a good result. I'm willing to bet these projects suffered from a lack of trust.

So: what to do? Well, we have a couple of options. If you want to keep the client's business, the first, best option, is to confront the client about the problem. Explain in as neutral and professional a tone as possible what the issue is (bad communication, lack of trust, doing end-runs around the designer to vendors, whatever). And see how they react. Hopefully it can be the beginning of the end of such behavior. They will see you've called their bluff, or realize that they've been behaving inappropriately. And they have the opportunity to modify their behavior.

And, of course, there are people who refuse to modify anything. They are always in the right. They are perfect, at the top of their game, and no one tells them what to do. If they are making it impossible for you to do your job, impossible to meet goals you and they set together, it's time to part ways. To remain in a sick relationship that won't get better is bad for you. Let the client find another victim. Cut your losses and go.

Maybe I'm stating the obvious here. But I have heard plenty of creatives talk about some crummy assignment they've taken--again, and again, and again-- for one reason or another. And I'm the first to admit that if I need the cash, I'll take almost any job, even if I know the client is a jerk. But if it's not a matter of putting food on your plate, save your sanity and go. After all, isn't life about more than just money and deadlines and awards? It's about living. Living a full life. So get rid of the jerks, and breathe in a lungfull of fresh air, and remember there are more important things in your life besides making a living.

posted at 4:43 PM Leave your comments here: 0 comments

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