Nightmare client! Help

I have spent the last few months designing and taking all the pictures for a brochure. I already went though my share of frustrations with this client, ie: "My(clients) mother thinks the title should be neon pink and big and BOLD." "My(clients) husband thinks there should be bullets down the side and the phone number needs to be 24 point type and BLACK," ... on and on.

So at long last I am finished with the brochure and email it to the printer of the clients choice. Well I get an email from the client this morning saying that the printer has suggested borders and other changes and is going to make the changes to my design. I am so furious. I emailed the client saying that if there are any changes needed then I will do them and to not let the printer change the design. The client emailed me back saying that the printer can do it so don't worry. I made myself clear that I didn't want the file changed so I guess I'm getting the blow-off.

What do I say?

Karen

(Edited on 2006-08-24 22:28:33 by realitybytes)

Take the money and run....

I agree...

Write yourself a really big note telling you never to work with this client again. That way, when you run away with the money, you'll still be able to see the good advice you left yourself.

Also, avoid this printing company like the plague too.

Am I wrong or is it very unprofessional of the printer to mess with designer files?

I agree^. Printing company suggested borders? Mind your own business!

It sounds like the client is a sponge who soaks up free work and ideas from anyone who has an opinion.


If you are that upset about it, stop emailing the client, get in the car and go and see them. Express your feelings in person and forget about email, it will be hard for them to argue when you are standing in their office and they can see how upset you are.

I say, if you got paid what you wanted to be paid, then smile and walk away. If you get confrontational, then that's just bad for your reputation, and your client will tell everyone they know about it...

shrug.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned from my first design boss:
"Lift them up and let them drop." (your shoulders)

I am with the rest them. Take a very deep breathe slowly let it out, and cash the check. Then after a few days (after you've been paid and check has cleared the bank), send off a physical letter in postal saying, "Thank you very much for the opportunity to do business with you, however, due to circumstances beyond my control I can no longer accept any new business from Company ABC. I wish you all the best in your endeavors."

Time to cut your losses and walk away. I've found that after the initial anger when I get burned by a client I realize that I am better off without them. Appreciate the money you receive from them and move on.


I wouldn't send a letter saying that you won't work with them, I would just let it go and if they contact you again asking for your help just tell them you are too busy or that you think they would be better off working directly with the printing company (ha, ha).

Great advice everybody, thanks.

I guess one of my concerns is that when the brochures are handed out my name is also being handed out (in the form of word by mouth as to the question "who designed your brochure") and if the design is bad from the changes the printer made then it looks like I am a bad designer.

Frustrating.

Agree with all the above advice. You're done now, so just take the money, laugh at the crappy-ass brochure the guy spent his hard-earned money on, and tell any designers you know in your area not to do business with this guy. Speak with the owner of the print shop and tell him that it's extremely unprofessional to suggest changes to a customer's design, let alone make those changes himself. If he apologises, just tell him not to do it again. If he defends his actions, tell every designer in your area what happened; the guy will never print another brochure again.


/Alex

I just did a really nice brochure for a pool company and then the client at the last minute wanted a coupon on the back panel and their yahoo email address on the cover. It went from a nice portfolio piece to a "I didn't design that" piece. Don't feel so bad. Money is money, I'd say 25% of what I do goes in my portfolio and 75% is a paycheck and nothing more.

I agree with the rest, take the money and run. I'll add this agreeing with 614mike, you're not alone. I had a client I was doing a logo and some promotional materials for, and because their needs were so specific, I was creating custom fonts for them. They just kept looking at me kinda confused like and saying accusingly "What font is that?" "What font is that?" They really wanted it to be a font. I also did some beautiful illustrations for them that everyone else raved about (and I turned to people who were involved in the project and designers who I knew would give me truthful critique). I've never seen those illustrations used. The client was almost obstinate. And I have to say, I've never seen anything good come out of their marketing department since then, and their competition is miles ahead of them in promotion. I don't even want my work to be associated with them. So their project is dropped from my portfolio. I took the money, considered it well earned, and wouldn't want to work for them again.

I think the bottom line is that people who are indecisive about their marketing materials are insecure about either their product or themselves. Whether it's warrented or not, they're washed by waves in every direction and generally unhappy with everything they receive.

StekiDesign,

you hit the nail on the head with this client. She has no self-confidence(insecure) so she had to ask everybody, including the printer no doubt, if the brochure looked okay or needed changes. And of course eveybody is a critique so she got many suggestions which were then forwarded on to me

as a designer you'll come up against this time and time again, it usually happens in my experience with the lower end clients, with that i mean small companies, or sole traders, larger companies seem to give you a decent brief and you go off and give them something nice.


As most have said above, i take the cash, but i do have a limit to what i'll accept in the way of design changes, after all, thats what they are paying you for, you're the one with the design skills, if you don't draw the line somewhere it could be weeks before you go to print.


and always get them to sign off the design before going to print, even if your using a printer you have picked, once the design is signed, there are no changes, if there are (for a very good reason) you make the changes at a cost and no one else, this should be stated in the sign off document.




(Edited on 2006-08-25 08:58:08 by mazz2000)

>>mazz2000 wrote: and always get them to sign off the design before going to print<<

Absolutely! By getting approval it releases you of all responsibility if they find issues/typos with the brochure after they sign the approval. There is an art/design approval form at www.creativepublic.com

as a trailing note to this thread - think of it as a positive for future sales. Simply get a copy of their final product and then have a copy produced of how you intended the brochure to look on your own printer or indigo/igen (if you don't have equip for a good mock-up) and then you'll have a side-by-side comparison that shows your value as a designer.