Polite way to turn down a client

[sarah]

Hi guys,

Just looking for some advice. When I first started out freelance in March 2005, one of my very first clients came along looking for logo and small website to sell his products through. The logo and site design were sorted within a few weeks, and a deposit was paid, but when it came to the client supplying me with the product information and images to add to the site things went quiet. I tried ringing and emailed several times but he had vanished.

I left the preview site uploaded on a subdomain of my own site without thinking, then at the start of 2006, realised it was still there and deleted it. A week later the client suddenly got back in touch to work on the site again, some images were supplied then again all went quiet.

Today, the client has suddenly emailed again to say 'can I upload some stuff to the site as he is thinking about getting it going soon'.

It's 23 months since I started this project and I really don't want to start doing more work on it if he's going to just vanish again for another couple of years!!! Been sat here trying to compose a response that politely tells him where to go but I'm hopeless at this sort of thing!

Can anyone suggest any sentences to help me out? Or do you think I'm bad doing that and should crack on with the site and keep the customer happy?

Cheers!

Sarah

[Toon]

A great responce would be honesty tell him them you're not willing to commence with anymore work without payment up front explain your situation and there's no reason why you can't be a bit 'I'm not used to dealing with clients that lack a grasp on communication especially when work has been done'.
Only you will know if the work is profitable enough to continue, if doing this would lead to more work from them, maybe it's worth being nice. Sounds to me like to much hassle and I'm sure you're not short of clients.
We have recently told a client we refuse to do work for them, at the hight of our business dealings with them they were supplying us with £380,000 of orders a year, but the hassle it cost us in meeting their more rediculous demands just wasn't worth the hassle.

[flashwiz]

I agree with Toon here Sarah, if doing something for this client will lead to more work either from them or from people associated with them then maybe its worth finishing off the original job.

If not then i would make sure the job is on your terms and conditions. If that means asking for the payment upfront due to the previous issues you have had with them, then so be it. I would also even put the price up too, if they dont want to do that or pay you what you ask the worst that can happen is you dont do the work. However if your not that bothered about doing it anyway then its win win for you!!.

... i have had some clients like this, and to be honest with all the hassles if i dont get the work on the terms i would like, then i just let them go elsewhere etc. And if they do say yes then i do the job at a better price for myself with payment upfront.


Good luck anyway...

[sarah]

Thanks for your replies guys, my brain is just like moosh tonight! Hadn't seen it as a win win for me, but now that I think about it, you're right, thank you!

I quoted this client very little as he was one of my very first clients and I had next to nothing in my portfolio at the time, and still had a part-time job.

The site I've put together for him looks very basic now too compared to my more recent work, to be honest I'd rather start again from scratch than put it online, which has added to my brain mooshness when it came to thinking what to say!

I guess I just need to explain to him that a good bit of time has passed since the original quote and as he didn't stick to the original timescales we agreed to with providing me the information, he'll be charged at my current rates for the completion of the site.

Plus, he'll have to wait for me this time as I'm busy busy at the mo - although I'll not be 2 years!

Thanks again guys!

Sarah

[Andy]

"**** off"
"erm.... NO"
"Busy"
"talk to the hand coz the face isnt listening"

[Ratbaggy]

Contracts! Contracts! Contracts!

"If any phase of the project is delayed for longer than X days, an invoice will be issued for work completed to that date."

[heliopagus]

... that's exactly what I was going to say. This one's a learning experience - just let if go - but in future, always have a clause in your project agreement that says something to the effect of "If the client delays completion of the project for more than xx months, the client agrees to settle for all work completed up to that date." Also, include a clause "the quotation provided is valid for xx days".

[sarah]

Thanks for the advice guys, got things sorted after a quick chat with the client the following morning, was just having a night of brain fuzz!