When to send a client packing - share your stories

[jeremiah-brown]

As the title says...

How do you evaluate your clients and what makes you decide to send them packing?

**READ ME - I am not looking for advice!!  DONT REPLY WITH ADVICE!!  Just wanting to hear other freelancer's stories and experiences.

I currently have a client who has provided info for a project they would like done.  I reiterated to the client certain design requirements for the project and was scolded like a child and told to refer to the design document that he provided...  which says the same exact thing.  I knew my info was correct because I pull it directly from the manufacturer.  Client also wants me to call them 10 mins before I start work and 10 minutes after I stop work. 

Client asked to do a fixed price contract, but I responded that I only use hourly and that the time tracker benefits the client so that they can check over my work, ensuring I am not just sitting idle racking up time.  I estimated the job to take 1-2 hours, with 2 hours on the high end only to account for unforseen issues with the file.  Client continues to "negotiate" and offers me a fixed price - once again, prompting me to explain that I don't do fixed price contracts due to previous client abuses.

So here I am - enough time in the back and forth with this client that I could have had the project completed already.  Its a small project and the client just continues to make it much more complicated than it needs to be.  

This is where I start considering to cut clients loose.

**AGAIN - I am not asking for advice.**

[wlyonsatl]

I tell every client who requires a fixed price that I only work on an hourly basis with new Upwork clients.

I don't argue or discuss this; it's a take it or leave it situation. I am busy enough with other projects to be able to take that approach.

And I don't work on projects that will only require two hours to complete. My project minimum is four hours and, if I understand correctly, Upwork's system only allows clients to set a weekly minimum for projects at 5 hours. Most of my projects require 15 - 60 total hours over multiple weeks, but I don't doubt there are projects across many job types that only require two hours to complete.