Some clients

**Waldo** · 2nd June 2011, 02:55 PM

Here's what peeves me off. Clients who think that your time isn't worth anything an d that you just "have to design it, don't you?"

Sure mate, let me run around town meeting you everywhere offering my advice on how best to do something or bounce with you some ideas and work out how to tackle something for you.

Client in question I emailed yesterday informing him my supplier has another sample ready to look at and disucss. The client didn't get back, I had to phone him, "I was going to email you." My supplier had a time for a meeting and wanted to know if it was convenient. Client says he can't keep driving 79kms for meetings and asked if I could come see him? He's only come out this way once, and the first meeting I drove for 3/4 hour to meet with him for 1 1/2 hours.

I told him I could come see him, but be aware that you'll be paying for my time, so it will be added to the quote.

Silence.

"How much will it cost?" I told him my hourly rate and that everything I do is a flat rate charged in 1/4 hour blocks. Explaining that as much as it is time and money for him to have a meeting, so it is with me. Besides which you want my professional advice. And he is taking time that could be taken up by another client who wants something done, so someone has to pay.

"Okay, let me get back to you and I'll email you."

So, for a little job, that "I only have to design", I'm ready to pull the plug. I'm not ready to run around town everywhere, to organise suppliers and meet with them on behalf of my client and not get paid for it.

It might cost me $, but I'm not free mate.

it peeves me that people think only they are worth money, their product is worth money, but any suppliers can get taken for a free ride so far as they think they can take them.

There, that's off my chest.

**AlexS** · 2nd June 2011, 04:29 PM

Yep, those clients are the first ones to ditch as soon as you can - or not take them on in the first place.
The ones who p!ss me off are those who want you to do a detailed design for free, then take it off to someone else to knock up a cheap version. I can usually sniff them out pretty early, and if it has to go beyond a sketch I'll get a deposit. I've had people bring others' designs to me to make, and I won't do that either.

**Vernonv** · 2nd June 2011, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by AlexS

The ones who p!ss me off are those who want you to do a detailed design for free, then take it off to someone else to knock up a cheap version.

Don't be so hard on them ... that's the Aussie way ... apparently.

See here and here

**Geoff Dean** · 2nd June 2011, 04:58 PM

Waldo. I work in prepress for a printer. My pet peeve is designers who expect me to fix their crappy files for free, or spend 2 hours trouble shooting it for free so they can fix it.

Do you know this bloke?

**Wongo** · 2nd June 2011, 05:03 PM

Leave till Friday so we have something to talk about.

**Sebastiaan56** · 2nd June 2011, 05:43 PM

As a print shop owner with designers on staff I'll add a couple of comments,

My fave is the designer who just doesnt get it that their carefully laid out grey 7% - 43% vignette looks great on their $2000 screen but is basically unprintable. Especially when its 250 business cards and they want it in half an hours time.

It also blows me away the number we get through with higher degrees who just dont understand bleed and cutmarks. "Of course Im a graphic designer, Ive done three websites" or "what do you mean you are going to charge me for all 500 sheets of my expensive imported pastel puce stock when you only need 220 to print the job??!?" or "what do you mean by embed the font set?"

But from the designers point of view Waldo has a really good point. My favourite customer line "Ive done the design, I just need you to change a few things, how much will it cost me" or "My daughter is getting married and Ive said I'll organise the stationary for her. What can you show me?". My sign of victory "$125 an hour to design??!?, I'll go back to Officeworks"

Its a good thing the opposition is only a block away

**Waldo** · 2nd June 2011, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by Geoff Dean

Waldo. I work in prepress for a printer. My pet peeve is designers who expect me to fix their crappy files for free, or spend 2 hours trouble shooting it for free so they can fix it.

Do you know this bloke?

I might send that one on Geoff, for people who want to jerk me around.

My nose sniffs them out AlexS, don't worry. And when I work them out for they are

Thing is Sebastiaan, I'm sure the kids who graduate don't know the basics eg picas, emms etc. so they don't know why what they are doing is wrong, or why a file needs bleed for a printer etc.

**Geoff Dean** · 2nd June 2011, 06:35 PM

And don't get me started on Publisher or word files.

**Geoff Dean** · 2nd June 2011, 06:37 PM

I have found over the last 20 years or so, designers who have worked at a print shop have a far better understanding of what is achievable on a press, as opposed to a latte sipping uni graduate who has only ever worked for an "agency".

**Waldo** · 2nd June 2011, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by Geoff Dean

I have found over the last 20 years or so, designers who have worked at a print shop have a far better understanding of what is achievable on a press, as opposed to a latte sipping uni graduate who has only ever worked for an "agency".

Have to agree with that.

**Handyjack** · 6th June 2011, 11:34 PM

Clients that show you what they want for a free quote, takes an hour. You provide quote but don't get job. Two hours unpaid time.

You finish a job, they pay you, then spend half an hour asking your opinion on something you can't do - and you have another appointment!

What I like is a client who values your time and understand the difference between would like and achievable within time/cost constraints. And is happy to pay what the job is worth when the job is finished.

**Waldo** · 7th June 2011, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by Handyjack

What I like is a client who values your time and understand the difference between would like and achievable within time/cost constraints. And is happy to pay what the job is worth when the job is finished.

Which is why I love my government clients and one other regular client.

**Master Splinter** · 7th June 2011, 07:07 PM

Your pricing needs to incorporate the 'Jumping Frog Fee'

http://www.27bslash6.com/bob.html

Just be glad your clients don't ask why they can't have animated gifs on their business cards....

**Waldo** · 7th June 2011, 09:35 PM

Don't discount that idea, a client wants some cogs moving in a static diagram.

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