HN Explorer

Ask HN:How to tell off a stupid customer after you've got paid

3 points by stiggz ↗ HN
I've answered this question about Google indexing your page in at least 30 different ways, I have all the emails that you've sent me.. Susan, I honestly believed that this would be a ONE-PAGE site, with payment made after the one page was completed. I didn't anticipate having to educate you about the nature of the internet, hosting, searching, Google PageRank, direct you and your future web-masters, etc. If I had realized that you wanted me to do Search Engine Optimization while you withheld payment until a 3rd party did something, I would have never done the work for you. I should have got a written contract signed before beginning work. In retrospect, I've done about $500-$600 worth of work for you, and bit my tounge until now because you are a friend of the family. I've fulfilled my end of the bargin, I honestly wish to have no further contact with you, or ever work with/for you again.

What do you think?

5 comments

[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 22.4 ms ] thread
gexla
Behind every stupid customer who needs to be "told off" is a stupid web developer who botched the job.

I have the greatest respect for the majority of my clients. Though some of them seem to be "stupid" about all things web, they are usually a lot smarter about business than I am. They are probably even smarter about the most important part of web intelligence, which is making money from it.

Even if just getting started, the clients need to build that knowledge from somewhere. It's your job to guide the "stupid" clients through the process. Otherwise, perhaps they wouldn't need to hire you, especially if they have a low budget. It's also your job to make sure that your own business doesn't take a hit by losing money in opportunity costs (spending more time on a project than you got paid for when you could have been working on other projects with better pay.) You also lost a possible source of referrals by needlessly "telling the customer off."

These things will happen to you as a web developer. Learn from your mistakes and move on. Don't burn bridges.

stiggz
Oh, I know.. She doesn't have any bridges though, and I learned to write a contract. I spent 20+ hours for $100, wouldn't you do the same? Especially when the verbal agreement was a one-page site? Would do it again, and again.

Maybe some background is neccesary: Had to change hosts for her, make site without specs, then re-create WITH specs, answer daily emails to the effect of 'So, when is Google going to index my page? Today? Why would I pay you if they won't index the site?', etc. etc. ad 30 days.. Although I may have flown 'off' the handle, it was the result of a prolonged effort on her part. Some times as a dev you just have to draw a line, and this is the result of that line being run over by a dump-truck.

anthonyb
I disagree. There are a lot of clients who are just stupid, obnoxious and/or irrational - it's a personality trait, and there's not much you can do about it. I've worked with fantastic clients who know nothing about the web, and idiots who know a lot (they're usually the worst).

To the original poster - you have your payment. It might be tempting to go psycho, but an easier way is just politely refuse to do any more work for her. If she asks why, then be up front and tell her that you've put in 20+ hours work for only $100. You'll find out either way whether you want to do any business for her again. Some bridges are made to be burned!

If it's any consolation, she's probably making her future web developer's life a misery right now.

gexla
Okay, my post was quick because I forgot to mention a very important trait for a web developer. You have to learn when to say NO! It takes time to recognize the warning signs though. Once you do, then part of your process from initial contact to getting the client signed on should be to unveil those flags. Again, it's not the fault of the client, ultimately the responsibility lies with the web developer not to get into these situations. In other words, if your business tanks, you can only blame yourself.

You still don't need to burn any bridges though. And turning down future work isn't burning bridges.

carbocation
After you did $100 of work, you should have asked for full payment. Upon her refusal to pay you, you should have declined to do anything further for her. This street appears to go two ways, though I can certainly sympathize with you.