I have to let this out...

[799bf2eb]

Hello,

A client hired me for Automation Software and listed the features he would like to have in the software.

When talking about the price, the client already had a very low budget. I don't want to name exact numbers but let's assume I got the job offer negotiated up to $2000, even though I told him I would have charged $8000. But at the moment I was already in a bad financial situation so I still accepted the job.

I developed the software by working myself through his list of features. I have to get emotional now because:

- I worked extremely hard for this job. I was up day and night to work on this job.

- I moved other projects to the future

- I created the most beautiful UI someone could ask for.

For example, this is the UI quality average freelancers in the programming niche deliver: https://gyazo.com/68adf86cf24671c200b11c89bfe17a8d

This is my UI quality: https://gyazo.com/00daf71ffc5726785e4d4cb0e7b25030

- I wanted to have a long-term relationship, so I put in the extra effort. I had purchase costs on my end for UI elements to put a new standard to my work.

- I worked up to 16 hours per day, 12 days straight, for this job.

- And I have this principle for my work; I always let it all look easy. I never say how much I worked.

I was so excited to deliver this software to the client. I expected him to say "What a great, modern beautiful UI, thank you soo so so much" or something along these lines. I expected him to show gratitude and that he values my work. I thought that the hard work I had put into the software would speak for itself.

You know what happened after submitting my work for the milestone?

The client came back 10 minutes after going over it and gave a list of complaints he had about it. Not a single thank you, nothing other than a list of complaints.

And you know where it even gets crazier?

- I read his complaints and then re-read the job he gave me with all his requirements and saw a 100% missmatch. What he complained about was something that at no point he had communicated to me

I'm a highly emotional person when I expect something from someone. For this contract I worked so so so hard and did not got any type of validation.

I have clients who thank me because I respond to them. That makes me so incredibly happy because this shows that these people have good character.

This business is about being professional.

I did what he told in his job but what he complained about afterwards was something that was never talked about. This totally broke me.

I stopped responding to him for a few days and had to think about all this and then he followed up with a "hey man" and that is where I had enough and gave him a full refund and blocked him.

I worked with dozens clients and when I see that someone does not say a simple thank you from time to time, I will not do business with him.

I really had to get this out.

This really really broke my heart. I rather give him his money back than try to revise his job and potentially get another complaint list that is again totally out of scope.

This is so typical for software solutions. Most of the time the client does not know what he wants at all.

Thanks for reading.

[esadr]

I believe that being professional means completing the job and delivering with respecting all objections from the client.

Being professional also means not letting emotions get over you. It's nice when there's kindness and respect, but that's not the rule in every case.

I have not once found myself in a situation where a client asks for something 2.5 pixels to the left or a different color or type of font. Or to develop something totally illogical for me, so that client says I'm right after all when sees how it looks and put everything back, the way it was before.

Communication is the key, but many people have the problem of not being able to say what they want clearly enough, and on the other hand, many things can be misunderstood.

Couples stay together for years, start families, and eventually, everything falls apart due to poor communication. 

That's why I don't believe that blocking further communication is the smart solution. We can always agree to disagree.

[martina_plaschka]

You should have never gone so low on price. Cheap clients are often the worst clients. Not all of them, but a lot. You should not have refunded. He might still leave you bad private feedback, but without even earning anything on it. 

[feed_my_eyes]

The way to respond to a "list of complaints" is by saying, "it will cost X amount and take X many days" (giving yourself enough time to work on it so that you don't work 16 hour days and neglect your other projects).

From the client's point of view, he saw things that he didn't like, so he asked for revisions. He didn't know that you'd worked so, so hard on his project, he only knew that it wasn't what he was after. Just because he didn't say "thank you", you refunded him, blocked him and say that he broke your heart - it's a bit of an over-reaction, don't you think? Validation is nice, but at the end of the day, I just want to meet the client's goal for their project, then get paid; it's not about me and my feelings. If I truly don't like someone. I just don't accept any further projects from them. 

[Anonymous-User]

I feel for you.

But, it's a lesson, if a client is willing to drag the price down to an unacceptable level it is an indicator that he is trouble.

I havent had many difficult clients. in fact 3 sice 2016.

Client one.

Agred ths spec, but tried to change after contract award, a polite message, and bingo, he succumbed to the specs, and in the end paid a bonus, not all clients are like that, and he apologised and was great afterwards.

Client two.

Took the communciation outside of Upwork started wanting to get work done pre-contract, blocked, gone, no need to mess with people like that, and he was a client with $20k of work done

Client three.

Agreed the price, made the milestone for 50% of agreed price, ignored 3 messages to clarify the milestone, declined the offer, when he came bck moaning that he was annoyed blah, blah, blah, I politely pointed out that I had messaged him, he ignored those messsages and I was no longer available, whcoh was true, but even if i had the capacity to complete his work i wouldn't have, no trust in the client, and he was a client with $20k work already done.

So, take the lessons and those that others tell and don't allow the bad clients to ruin the good clients, which there are thousands and thousands out there, it's just luck and timing if you catch a nice one.