It’s impossible not to make mistakes. Your writing seems fluent, so as long as you deliver a service of value to your client, I’m sure they would see that as an asset. From a management perspective it’s a pain to have to replace people and often easier to work through problems. I think to a certain extent there is friction in every freelance/client relationship. I also think you need to have a fairly robust relationship with clients. Though if it gets to the point of being toxic, I would ride it out for as long possible, make sure they don’t owe you money and then split amicably, on your own terms when it gets too much.

It’s really interesting that you should write about this today, as I was just going through some old emails from clients I no longer work with. (Yes, I keep them around to read once in a while to remind me how glad I am to have them off my client roster.) Anyway, in one case a client complained about the number of errors in the report I had written and told me the entire thing would need to be re-written from scratch, yet when I got the thing back with his revisions it was simple stuff like using the the word “which” instead of “that” or removing a set of parentheses from a few sentences. Another client told me he had stayed up all night fixing my errors but when I asked to see a copy of the revised report he refused to send it, which leads me to believe he was only being a jerk because he could.

I agree with Tarique Sani that clients like this don’t take splits well sometimes. The second client I mentioned above continues to contact me once in a while to remind me how much he thinks I suck. Last time I heard from him, he made sure to let me know he had trashed me and my work to someone who had called to ask about me. This despite the fact that at one time he was so happy with my work he had considered offering me a job. I’m so glad I dodged *that* bullet.

Argh, sorry to rant. This topic obviously pushed a few of my buttons.

Bottom line - some clients are stressful. Long term the best approach is to find some new ones so that you can either be ready if they cut you loose (& say to yourself “good riddance!”) or, if you can, “fire” the client - either directly (”I’m not going to be able to continue working on this, but here are some people I think would work out very well for you - and I will help with the transition”) or indirectly (”Hi, my rate just went up 20%.” If that’s OK, a month or two later - “That’s going to take more time than you’ve allowed.” etc.)

I think it’s always fair to tell a client, in an appropriate way, that there’s a problem with their schedule. (”That time frame leaves very little time for proofing, so the first draft is going to be slightly rough. If we can add a few days in, we can be more thorough on this end.”) Or they need to pay enough so you can pay someone else to proofread. It’s the old good/fast/cheap - pick 2 of the 3 issue.

Excellent post. I’ve been in this place many times. I consider myself a very confident individual yet paying clients somehow have the power to slice through that layer with a knife and make you feel so unprofessional just for being human. Learning to cope under this pressure is vital to your mental health and success as a freelancer. Thanks for writing this.

I agree that sometimes it’s best to just bite the bullet and sever ties with a client who’s consistently critical to the point that it inhibits positive growth on the project. It doesn’t matter how much money it’s bringing in if it’s making you miserable in the end! You would think that every client would want to work with you to the utmost to achieve the best possible outcome for their project. But their are some who are nasty and inflexible from the beginning. Fortunately these few are usually easy enough to spot and get your ducks in a row so to speak for the inevitable day when you need to say goodbye.

Thanks for a great post!

I once read that one of the popular believes that hurts American businesses the most is the notion that ‘the customer is always right’. No, the customer is not always right. In the end it all boils down to numbers, and if servicing that difficult customer is costing you more than you’re taking in, it’s time to fire him. As the Godfather said, ‘no hard feelings, it’s just business’.

I’m going to be slightly contrarian here. While life is too short for out-and-out abusive clients, there is a lot of long term benefit to learning to meet the expectations of a tough client. Most, if not all, or us have the tendency to rise or fall to the level of expectations placed on us.

I think most of the posters, including Kristen, are talking more about disrespect/abuse than high standards here, but it’s a distinction that should be made clear.

Am I the only one that noticed the um… typo?
“As I cope with this difficult, client, I’m keeping some things in mind.”

Good article and I agree, even though I’ve held on to toxic clients longer than
I probably should have, there’s a time to just let it go.

This post reminds me of a recent job that I did where I showed up on site, the client didn’t do anything I asked (I stage homes for sale). The home was a mess when I showed up, the home owner was still painting trims and wouldn’t leave the house. Then he told me I was forbidden to put any nails in the wall so the labor time went over my original budgeted time because everything had to be hung with strings and hooks, and required multiple adjustments. So I basically ate 3 hours worth of labor and lots of lots of stress while his partner was strolling around the property and he painting the trims of the home. Oh then when I asked for my agreement/contract again, he actually didn’t read it at all, and was negotiating the details of the contract. It was hard not to reach across the table and strangle him with my bare hands. Then, after the listing was up, I checked the photos where he “edited” my work. I was just like… What was the point of hiring me again?

In retrospect, I would prefer him keeping those money and I keep my sanity. Some clients are just not worth it. Every time I think of that job I get a hard knot in my stomach. I feel terrible about the way I behaved on the job site (I didn’t throw a fit or anything but I was mad, I am sure the client could tell). I also let the negative energy affected my work. But I did learn several important lessons and all of those went into my contract to prevent future incidents and loss of profits. I suppose some of the lessons have to be learned the hard way.

Cheers,
Cindy

Good article. I make sure I get two people to proof my work, but even then mistakes get through! It’s a hard job, but we all love it