Client keeps asking for modifications in hourly job and doesn't want to pay

[imagdy88]

I need to inquire about an hourly job with 5 hours weekly limit. The client wants to keep making modifications without having to pay for the extra hours, though i told him clearly in the beginning that 5 hours per week are insufficient for his requirements but he said “just work those 5 hours and i will add hours later”, which he never really did and just pushed the work for the following week, now the situation is he doesn’t even want to pay for that 5 hours per week claiming that he shouldn’t pay for fixings, though he stated that the design was excellent and that he wanted more modifications. how can i deal with this client now? Should i really work for him for free to avoid a bad review if I ended the job?

[jmlaidlaw]

@ Islam --

Here is a tough-truth reality:

You ask: "Should i really work for him for free to avoid a bad review if I ended the job?"

The answer is : YES. "Yes... if..."

That is, If you are prepared to allow your freelancing endeavors to be controlled by a perpetual fear of an unpredictable and often dyspeptic client leaving you a bad review, then, by all means, YES, do allow such a client (and the many like-minded clients who will follow) to tyrannize your life. Give in to their unreasonable demands.

You will be miserable. You will be a worm-like supplicant. You will live in constant fear and uncertainty. Your talents will be at the mercy of those who neither appreciate them nor remunerate you properly for their application.

You won't make as much money as you could do if you worked with a better class of clients and if you valued your skills appropriately.

However, if you are ruled by your fear of the possibility -- even of the near-certainty -- of a bad review from a bilious and perhaps vindictive client... Well, then, by all means do the work for free.

ETA:  This is not meant to be a slam to you. It is truly meant as helpful advice -- as a way of looking at this situation that will make you re-think this client and your freelancer/client relationship. Give yourself some power and control!

[imagdy88]

@janean

You are RIGHT in each and every word, i don't like at all how am being controlled over by such a client,i feel awfull really, i think i have to end this job for good.

[kat303]

Janean - 1 MILLION kudo's to your reply. This exact reply should be posted to every freelancer who wants to give a refund because of fear of negative feedback. 

[jmlaidlaw]

TY, Kathy!

I will re-post this in the query that's in the "Freelancer" thread.

[purplepony]

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Kathy T wrote:

Janean - 1 MILLION kudo's to your reply. This exact reply should be posted to every freelancer who wants to give a refund because of fear of negative feedback.

_________________________________________________________________

Kathy, we're on the same page. lol. I just posted that I'd give Janean 1M kudos for her post if I could. Yes! Yes! Yes! to what you and Janean have stated.   

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[purplepony]

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Janean L wrote:

@ Islam --

Here is a tough-truth reality:

You ask: "Should i really work for him for free to avoid a bad review if I ended the job?"

The answer is : YES. "Yes... if..."

That is, If you are prepared to allow your freelancing endeavors to be controlled by a perpetual fear of an unpredictable and often dyspeptic client leaving you a bad review, then, by all means, YES, do allow such a client (and the many like-minded clients who will follow) to tyrannize your life. Give in to their unreasonable demands.

You will be miserable. You will be a worm-like supplicant. You will live in constant fear and uncertainty. Your talents will be at the mercy of those who neither appreciate them nor remunerate you properly for their application.

You won't make as much money as you could do if you worked with a better class of clients and if you valued your skills appropriately.

However, if you are ruled by your fear of the possibility -- even of the near-certainty -- of a bad review from a bilious and perhaps vindictive client... Well, then, by all means do the work for free.

ETA:  This is not meant to be a slam to you. It is truly meant as helpful advice -- as a way of looking at this situation that will make you re-think this client and your freelancer/client relationship. Give yourself some power and control!

____________________________________________________________________

I'd give you 1 M kudos for this if I could, Janean! 

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[michelle-trevino]

I agree with everything above! I have had 2 hits to my JSS and both were because a client asked me to do tasks for free. When I professionally and politely declined, it infuriated them. This is something I will never waiver on. I know if I did, it will only get worse. When you do work for free, clients will never respect you. My JSS is at 100% now anyway and those hits to my score didn't last long. After going through that, I realize the JSS can be easily abused so I don't let it define me or what I do.

[prestonhunter]

Michelle's post is brilliant, and conveys exactly the right attitude that freelancers should have.

The time to stop "scope creep" is right from the beginning.

All freelancers should be unified in using Upwork properly, and that means that freelancers do not work for free.

Freelancers do not do work that is outside of the original task agreement.

I think there ARE clients who are good decent people who ask for additional work innocently, because they do not fully understand the fixed-price contract model.

AND there are clients who are bad people, who are trying to manipulate freelancers into working for free.

EITHER WAY, the freelancer needs to do the same thing: Professionally and politely explain that we can not do work that is out of scope, but that the client may set up a new hourly contract, or perhaps a fixed-price contractor milestone, to pay for that work.

I think there is no need whatsoever for us, as freelancers, to determine if the client is a good or bad person. We just need to be professional and do the right thing, and invite clients to do the right thing as well.

[michelle-trevino]

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Preston H wrote:

I think there ARE clients who are good decent people who ask for additional work innocently, because they do not fully understand the fixed-price contract model.

Yes! In most cases, I've had great clients who have added extra milestones, renegotiated contracts, or upped my weekly hourly limit when I told them that I needed more time to complete tasks outside the original scope. 

[mtngigi]

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Janean L wrote:

@ Islam --

Here is a tough-truth reality:

You ask: "Should i really work for him for free to avoid a bad review if I ended the job?"

The answer is : YES. "Yes... if..."

That is, If you are prepared to allow your freelancing endeavors to be controlled by a perpetual fear of an unpredictable and often dyspeptic client leaving you a bad review, then, by all means, YES, do allow such a client (and the many like-minded clients who will follow) to tyrannize your life. Give in to their unreasonable demands.

You will be miserable. You will be a worm-like supplicant. You will live in constant fear and uncertainty. Your talents will be at the mercy of those who neither appreciate them nor remunerate you properly for their application.

You won't make as much money as you could do if you worked with a better class of clients and if you valued your skills appropriately.

However, if you are ruled by your fear of the possibility -- even of the near-certainty -- of a bad review from a bilious and perhaps vindictive client... Well, then, by all means do the work for free.

ETA:  This is not meant to be a slam to you. It is truly meant as helpful advice -- as a way of looking at this situation that will make you re-think this client and your freelancer/client relationship. Give yourself some power and control!

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Janean,

We need your permission to copy/paste this reply, so that we can use it much the same way Petra uses that flow chart she made. Most of us could not have said it any better and more succintly that you. It will save everyone a lot of time. Just sayin'. 

[jmlaidlaw]

Virginia --

You are welcome to quote me at any time!

[mtngigi]

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Janean L wrote:

Virginia --

You are welcome to quote me at any time!

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Does that mean I'm exclusive?