4 Ways to Kill Scope Creep
Some clients just keep asking for a little more: a four page website design can turn into a design plus copy or even a design plus copy plus marketing. It often happens just a little request at a time, as the scope of the project creeps ever larger. Scope creep isn’t always an entirely bad thing, of course. As long as your clients are willing to pay for the work that goes along with a bigger project, it can be beneficial. Depending on the situation, there are several responses you can offer to a client with a case of scope creep.
1. Glad to help — here’s a new estimate
If you can accommodate the changes, you’re more likely to end up with a happy client. However, since you also want to get paid for the time you work, it’s important to make sure that the client understands what an additional request will add to the bottom line immediately. That may result in the client changing his mind back to the original plan. It may also end with the client giving you the go ahead.
Mentioning a price up front is especially important when you’re working on a project with a flat rate. You don’t want to even run a risk of a client interpreting your response to mean that the cost of the changes are included in the original price.
2. I can’t meet the deadline
One of the biggest problems with scope creep is that it can wreak havoc on a schedule, sometimes to the point that you simply can’t finish the project by the deadline. And if you’ve got projects stacked up, even a small change in the deadline can cause you problems with your own schedule. In such cases, you have to offer the client some alternatives. Those can include changing the time table significantly, as well as bringing in a sub-contractor.
Some clients simply are on a tight deadline. It may be up to you to be the bad guy and tell them that extending the project’s parameters just isn’t an option due to the timing. While this is a problem that can be solved with more money, it’s typically very expensive — getting a sub-contractor up to speed or agreeing to work more hours for a rush fee can inflate a price tag quickly — and it may not be something you’re willing to do. There are only so many hours in a day, after all, and you may have other commitments that must come first.
3. Yes, but…
Sometimes, making both the price and time work is a matter of changing out other factors. While the idea of handling scope creep with even more changes can be scary, it can offer a compromise that makes the client happy and lets you get the job done. What changes is dependent on the project of course, but if can include decisions you and your client originally made when drawing up your initial agreement. For instance, one way to make a deadline work might be eliminating a round of revisions you initially agreed to.
If you’re willing to tackle the expanded project requirements, it’s important to figure out what changes they might force in the project as early as possible. The alternative can be a domino effect that turns a fairly easy project into something horribly frustrating.
4. No
It’s important to try to keep all communications about scope creep as calm as possible. While it’s easy to get frustrated at a client for piling request after request on top of an existing project, not all clients really realize that’s what they’re doing. Especially if you’re working with a client that is newer to working with freelancers or the type of project you’re working on, he may not recognize how much work his requests require. Furthermore, many clients are willing to pay to make the changes they want to their project — they’re just not clear on what those changes may require.
But sometimes clients want more than what the project originally called for, without having to pay more. If that point comes around, the only option you may have is to put your foot down and say no. It may not be the best option for maintaining a long-term relationship with the client in question — but losing a client who doesn’t consider your time worth paying for is probably not the worst thing that’s ever happened to you.
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I have problems of scope creep in the past, and the mechanics is always the same: you left a point blurry or undefined, and the customer “fills the gap” with the most convenient option for him. So you’re trapped in a “you said, i understood” situation.
I’ve found no other defense to this than defining better and better every new project, leaving as few holes as possible.
The last time I faced a scope creep situation, a customer told me all the classics: “i want… I understood”, but this time the project was properly tied, and I just replied “this is not included, check page two of our agreement”.
Having your ass covered is relaxing, oh yeah.
Ugh, scope creep…. haha. Great post. I will definitely be utilizing some of these tips! Thank you.
I agree with charging for extra work. Whenever a client wants additionals requests, I make sure I let him know how much time is gonna take me and we multiply that with my hourly rate. So far I haven’t got complaints and everyone is happy. If is 15 minutes from my time, I charge it.
Thank you so much for posting on this. New freelancers (myself included) are especially unaware of how quickly this can become a problem, and in my case, what to actually do to help combat this time- and money-draining problem. Many kudos to you for your advice!
This is such a big issue in the freelancing world. For me, in the web design & development field, I find that the clients don’t understand how much goes into a web project. This is where the contract and a healthy dose of education at the beginning of the project really helps alleviate the project creep. Great advice on how to handle it Thursday!
Great article! I am constantly updating my contracts and including more information to cover myself in as many situations as I can think of. I am finally at a point where I have covered quite a few things and even though it might be “additional” reading, it’ll get attached to all outgoing contracts/estimates from this point onward. Even to people who I know very personally. I usually follow up with the comment of “I’m just covering myself”.
I’m glad that I am always updating my documents to include new experiences that might not have worked. It’s actually fun and a great learning experience for me to do this… even though I don’t do much freelance work, I’ll be building myself a good set of documents for later down the road.
Does anyone know if there’s a guide/tutorial on writing contracts/agreements for Freelance web contracts? I’d like have a contract that covers as much as possible.
Cheers,
Darren
What I have done is search online for contracts/estimates and see how other people do it. I’ve never actually found a good “tutorial” on how to write one but just adjust existing to get an idea of how others have done it. From there, I have developed some decent documents that I’m proud of. If you’re interested, I could send you a couple of my documents for your browsing pleasure… contact me if you wish through my website as well as explaining that we discussed this on FreelanceSwitch and I’ll forward them to you in a reply.
Awesome mate,
Excellent stuff! All very useful information that needs to be in contracts.
That reminds me one time the customer came with some “modifications”. When I said that I would need make an estimate for that he answered: “Don’t bother doing an estimation, we are on a tight deadline, just go ahead and implement it.”
LOL
May I know who do you deal with this particular customer at the end of the day? Is he very mad when you tell him a “no”?
There are all sorts of reasons why scope creep comes into play. The most recent being the client thinks I am a mind reader. The usual line “I just thought…” was used a lot.
Now I remind clients, I’m not a mind reader. If you want something then you need to speak up and never assume.
If something does come up, I’ll now try and push it to a “phase 2″. This means the budget can be re-calculated and updated/new rules can be taken into account.
In the end sometimes, it’s just the way it is. If it’s going to stress you out no end, then don’t do it. It will have a domino effect on your other work.
I’m currently working with a scope creep nightmare of a project. Unfortunately, it was exactly the case that Ignacio describes in the first comment – holes, holes, holes.
The funny thing is, an updated estimate resulted in the client saying “You should give me a discount on everything over what you originally thought it was going to take, because you mis-estimated.”
My jaw about hit the floor when I heard that one.
Great article, however #4 should be #1.
I had an issue with this recently.
The client was on a tight budget, so I compensated that in my estimates for the website. At the time I was working full time, and this was just a small side project, so I didn’t mind taking a bit of a price cut.
The project went on for over a month, which was far past the initial deadline for the site. The client kept adding, and subtracting, and changing things he wanted done. Eventually, I had to decide just to say no. He was not willing to expand his budget, and I was getting a bit annoyed with giving more for nothing.
In the end, once the project was finished, he still wanted changes, and was surprised to get an invoice for the updates I had done past the completion of the website. Receiving a call, asking me to lower the cost of my hourly rate, or provide him with a way to make changes on his own.
A CMS was not in the budget, but was offered as one of the services, and was turned down. I had to explain this to him, and relate my work to what he does for a living, and explain that since he does not work for free and gets paid hourly at his full time job, that it is unfair to expect that from me.
*sigh*
And I was warned previous to taking on this client about everything that went on before hand.
Guess that will teach me to pay attention to advice in the future.
Well written article. I now build in an amount of extra time into each project for scope creep. It is almost a standard thing for at least one or two extra items to pop up while in the middle of a project.
Clients don’t often look closely enough at a project until it is already under way , to see these extra things “they forgot about”, or ” just thought of now” . There is nothing wrong with this, but from my experience it happens more often then not, so you may as well build it into each project schedule.
It’s true. More often than not, a bit of padding can help solve the scope creep issue. Not in the extreme cases, but that’s what makes them extreme anyway.
It’s good to add that little bit extra time to add all the little extra parts. But sometimes the client wants fundamental changes like um… adding a shopping a cart at the end!
hehe
Great post! Producing a water tight contract at the start of a project is vital. Every contract needs :
” Any client requested work falling outside the scope of this contract will be billed at $xxx.”
Works like a charm!
Very interesting article! I LOVE the term “scope creep” – almost considering adding it as an itemised addition to my future quotes. – Because boy, many clients ‘creep’?
I just charge hourly. After a few billing cycles the client gets a little more careful what they ask for. It’s been working really well.
I’d have to agree. Bill the client for everything above and beyond the design brief or the design specification. What? You didn’t spend the time doing a design spec for that website you’re working on? Always do a design spec. It will make it so much easier to charge for that extra work.
All true, but you forgot the most obvious one: Pad your initial estimate in the first place, because scope creep *always* happens. Saying yes easily the first one or two times makes you seem like a goddess. Fun.
Actually I don’t pad so much as I give a range in the initial estimate and make sure to say, “I’ll try to keep it at the bottom end of the range,” but I also make sure the top end covers my goddess butt. Clients aren’t usually evil (unless they are), they just don’t know what they want or realize how complicated their requests are sometimes.
Once I’ve worked through those extra hours, it’s easier for me to say, “We’ve already been able to accommodate the extra requests for x and y, so now for z let’s look at …” one of the four options.
Another scope-writing trick: Any forseeable/common areas that might expand, I include as “optional” services and make sure they are in the actual scope/contract as such. Some things that come in handy:
per additional meeting – 2 hrs
per additional round of revision – 5-10 hrs
per additional page – 1-3 hrs
weekend/overnight turnaround – ##%
… or whatever.
And if I think a big project is going to go over, I try to always keep the client posted *ahead* of the last few hours, so that they have the option to have me use that time to wrap up and create handoff documents for their own use, rather than expand.
And, all that said, there are times when I just go ahead and suck up a couple of hours, because it’s worth the goodwill or the good cause or the relationship, or because I made a mistake and underestimated how long it would take me. And then I make sure I write a better scope next time.
This happens to me all the time. The longer you freelance, the longer you realize that great clients are few and far between. Far too many of them try to squeeze as much as possible out of you without actually paying for it.
I had a similar problem. The client kept on ringing me up at home asking for changes and for me to call him back. I made a point of always replying via email. eventually I sent him an email telling him that any further changes will be billed at $50 an hour and that ALL correspondence MUST be via email. Worked a treat.
The other way I stop creep is to ask after every last update….”Are you sure you’re happy with the website now?” If they answer “No” I ask them there and then “Well you need to tell me to what change”… If they can’t tell me what to change or tell me they’re happy with it, then that’s all the confirmation I need to settle the deal and send them a confirming email the job is done as per their wishes and that any further work will cost them.
Scope creep is a never ending issue! We’ve found ways around it by having clients sign off on an Information Architecture, prior to starting the design. This has helped reduce scope changes! see more: http://bit.ly/cZePem
I’m new to freelancing and just experienced scope creep recently. I didn’t know there was an actual term for it. I was working on a illustration project with scope creep; the client wanted more midway through the project. I ended up doing #2/3. we extended the deadline of the project and also cut out some work we had initially agreed upon, in favor of the new work.
I have a funny rule about discounts. Unlike many writers, I’ll never give one to a new client, even though they constantly sell me on the empty promise of “future work to come.” But I’ll occasionally absorb scope creep or cut current clients slack, to build a better long term relationship if it’s a good client.
A recent 2 page sales sheet turned into a 4-pager, because client didn’t realize at first how much info they wanted to include. I billed for my designer’s extra time, since she charges me hourly, but held my writing fee to original 2-page quote – even though it took me longer to write. He had done jobs with me before and always paid fairly and promptly – never low-balling pricing or arguing over costs. I comped the extra fee on this one as a one-time “thank-you” for past business and made sure the invoice included both what should have been billed and what I actually billed. (We’ll see if the generosity pays off in continued work or leaves me feeling like a sucker!)
This is a great post! Had not thought of the terminology that applies to it – but very accurate.
I actually had this happen twice in the last few months – once with a client and once with a friend I had been helping with some design work – (yes I know helping friends out can get dicey and it did!)
When I explained to the client that what they wanted was not in the contract and would be extra they were very cool about it. However the friend on the other hand had a hissy fit when I explained to her that I was NOT going to do unnecessary work for her on Thanksgiving Day!
And I do agree “the contract and a healthy dose of education at the beginning of the project really helps alleviate the project creep”. I have spent lots of time on my contract and feel I now have one that covers any potential gray areas.
Umm… Point 1 fails to mention the: “piss off, I’ll find a new designer”. ??!
What a great topic, I often struggle with scope creep, and how it effects my customer service, I recently worked 20 hours on a draft for the inside pages to a website, and the client came back saying I don’t think any of it is “working” as if to say lets go back to the drawing board, these tips here have helped my gather some ammunition for the call today, to stick to the scope of the project, and stand behind the designs provided where based on the direction and feedback given along the way, we need to come to a compromise to stay on schedule and with in budget, or reconsider the deadline and budget to accommodate these new directions in the project.
This hopefully looks like I am coming from customer service and will help me maintain a level head about the process, instead of getting so frustrated.
Designers are good at the free thinking, and concept development, but often struggle with the “business side” which is definitely the case here
–
Thanks and Regards
Noel for Nopun.com
a graphic design studio
This is a huge issue for most creative freelancers! Often scope creep results from not scoping out the work well enough at the outset, which isn’t possible until you actually get into it.
That’s why one option is to propose 2 phases: first a fee to scope out the work in detail and provide an outline of what the client actually needs, and then a range of fees to do the work.
Has anyone tried that?
Submitting a new estimate or extending the time line normally works to stop the creep for me.
One thing I’ve found helpful is to bring a project up into smaller individual projects. It lessens the risk of an overall scope creep because you just have to deal with one part of a project. It can be more complicated to break a project up, but you end up doing work and planning that way anyhow.
I’ve found that stating clearly in the contract the deliverables helps a lot. If clients want to make additional changes to the project, that’s fine with us because the contract specifically states how much per hour the changes will be.
I’ve been in this situation so often and I never seem to learn. I love the “Glad to help – here’s a new estimate” solution and I’m going to remember this one going forward.
Very good post advise especially, “ALL correspondence MUST be via email.” Some clients really expect you to com out and take notes for them…
Seems the economy can really add to the problem of scope creep..
My contract negotiations involved both a lawyer and business manager
and lead to an end of all new projects..craigs wish list seems to offer constant low ball offers..
Finally I adopted a ‘work for hire’ approach ‘pay me’ hourly, daily, weekly..
seems to work, but I still have to give up time on projects. Due to lack of project manager/friends as clients..bad combination.
How do you sugar coat “the price is going up”??
Good Luck!!
Cheers D
Is there a standard response to send a client that just will not stop with the extra requests and expecting us to run not only their websites but run their business?
We created a platform, fully populated it and comes with a robust CMS system. That is all we were contracted for. The client sends multiple emails a day on “can you do this, do that” which they expect for free and call everything a “Technology” related issues – NONE of these requests have anything to do with technology or platform issues – it works all fine.
Client then escalates the emails with blaming, swearing, nasty worded emails. This is getting insane. I have told them relationship is done but they just won’t stop.
I would like to have a standard response – something like “we are more than happy to answer any technology related issues with your platform (bugs, slow, etc) but do not run your business for you, run your platform or market to your members, etc…. etc….
Making us completely nuts. They just will NOT stop.
How do you deal with scope creep from within your organization if you manage the development team? Often times since I manage the area, we begin working on a project while the scope is being determined. I believe this to be the worst kind of scope creep. Since we are part of the company the “creepers” think our time is “free”, thus they dont feel the “sting” of the additional cost. This almost becomes an enabler because they feel they can come in at any time and change the criteria. Any advice for that?
JC
Its hard to set a precedent because sometimes you do the request because it takes 5 mins and you don’t want to be a hard ass just because ‘its in the contract’.
Though if you say yes to one request and then tell the client that ones gonna cost it confuses them and then you can get to deadlock. Once that escalates they threaten not to pay and then you end up doing it because you want the project out the door.
Iv found even when you have a contract with everything laid out the client still asks for requests. That silence after you say it’s going to cost £XXX, they go all quiet and you wait and see what happens next. I find that hard to deal with.
I guess my main problem is that I just want it to be nice and easy. I’m getting over it though. LIke the other posts say, you gotta establish how it works at the beginning of the process.
Actually this has reminded me of a client that kept changing everything. I finally had enough and told her that it was going to cost extra. She started having a go at me saying ‘you going to stick to the contract are you!’, like there was something wrong with me.
Sometimes you just gotta except what’s going on and learn from it.
It seems to be the people that want fixed price quotes that attempt to squeeze the most out of us freelancers.
‘How much for a website for …’
Haunts me.
As soon as you have laid down a fixed quote, they figure you owe them whatever they desire, right down to the life stealing tiny detail.
I find more often than not, if you reply to scope changes with ‘no problem, I can do that, it wasn’t part of the initial agreement but I can do it at an hourly rate’. Is often met with ‘oh, don’t worry about it’ or just ignored all together.
People are happy to get as much as they possibly can out of you for as little as possible. Keep that in mind when quoting. Always include clear indications that extras are charged.
The best way to kill scope creep is by understanding the business of the client before making the estimates. Most clients don’t know exactly what they want (well initially), especially in web projects. The project manager has to understand their business before collecting the requirements.