Client wants to know the step by step on how I did things

[abbc9547]

I am a freelance developer for small businesses.

A client asks me automate their process using zapier and I am nailing all of it and they're happy.

Now they are asking me for the step by step process on how I did those integrations. If I give them the instructions they would probably let someone in their staff to do it from now on.

I'm not sure if I should give it to them or not as I spent time and expertise figuring things out to streamline their process.

Should I give it to them? If not, what should I tell them?

[rimi13]

Ofcourse Not. You learnt how to do the job and that's your secret, You should never let them know.

At best what you can do is, politely decline them saying that it's complicated and can't be put in step by step process. 

Hope this helps you. Best of luck. 

[martina_plaschka]

Of course you should. The client paíd for that. Are you trying to get a really bad review?

[pgiambalvo]

No, of course not. You did what you were hired to do. You weren't hired to tell them how you did it. But if they want to hire you again to tell them how you did it, that's up to you whether to agree or not. Me, I wouldn't for the reason you describe.

[prestonhunter]

I'm a mercenary.

A client can hire me and tell me to just do it and he doesn't want to know the details.

Or a client can hire me and ask me to divulge ALL of the steps and ALL of my secrets, and I will do so.

I'm getting paid by the hour. So I don't care.

If a client hires me to desgn a database (which is my are of specialization), and then after a few weeks he asks me to write a love poem for his dog, I'll do it.

I will first tell him that I don't write poetry, and the result he will get from me will be pretty bad. But if he really wants me to, fine. I'm getting paid by the hour. What do I care?

Other freelancers are welcome to choose differently.

Some freelancers may simply tell the client "no," they don't write poetry for dogs.

Some freelancers may tell clients they don't provide step-by-step instructions for how they do things. That's fine.

Freelancers make their own decisions about what services they do and do not provide.