As a freelance web designer, the last thing you want to do is turn away someone who wants to give you money to get a job done, however, sometimes you come across a client that is so bad, for one reason or another, that you just have to get rid of them. This guide will teach you when, why and how to fire a pesky web design client that is doing your business more harm than good.

Reasons to Fire a Client

  1. Clients Who Are Too Critical
    A little constructive criticism is good for both you and the client. A client who is overly critical and wants revision after revision is a client that will never be pleased with your work. This type of client will continually ask for more and more changes and never end up being happy.
  2. Clients Who Want More Work Without More Pay
    Most clients understand that by increasing the amount of work you will do they will also be increasing the price. Avoid clients who add more work after the initial quote but refuse to pay more. If you cannot explain to the client that they need to pay more, it is time to drop them. They will continue to ask for more and more for free.
  3. They Blame You For Everything… Even If It’s Not Your Fault
    If you are the cause of the problem then it is your problem to fix, but when the client blames you for things out of your control it is time to consider giving them the axe. If they blame you for problems with the web host, problems with material they provided you, or blame you for the site being late when they gave you the content 4 weeks late, then they are a problematic client who should be avoided.
  4. They Don’t Pay On Time
    If they are a little late on a payment, no big deal. It happens to the best of us from time to time. When they are late on most or all payments, its time to stop working with them even if they say the money is on the way. It’s probably not.
  5. They Are Too Cheap
    When a client offers $1800 when you quoted $2000 then they are negotiating. When a client offers $180 for that same site they do not respect you or your work enough to do business. You will end up working for $1.53 an hour.
  6. They Think You Are The Internet
    “Can’t you just go in the Google and put me on as the first search result?”
    “My Hotmail account isn’t sending pictures. Can you call them for me?”
    “Where do I get the Google at? Is that in Mozzarella Firefly?”

    When a client thinks you can control other websites, or they call you for every internet problem they have, it might be a sign to drop them. You should explain to them first that you don’t control these things, but if they can’t seem to get the picture it might be time to send them on there merry little way.

How to Fire a Client

So you’ve decided to fire that bothersome client? Good for you! Here is what you need to do to make sure this goes down smoothly.

  1. Review your contract.
    Make sure you’ve completed everything under contract. Better yet put a clause into your contract allowing you to fire the client. You may need to pay them back for work that didn’t get completed.
  2. Send them a letter explaining that you are dropping them.
  3. Let them know what work will still be completed.
    If you will be finishing up the job but not taking on more work, let them know.
  4. If you are cutting off your professional relationship due to payment issues, etc., make note of payments received, unpaid bills, etc.
    This will help protect you if the issue goes to court.
  5. Celebrate!

Related Posts:

  1. The 10 Types of Bad Web Design Clients
  2. Reasons to Learn and Use Web Standards