You should charge less!!!!

[RobertM]

Just had a potential customer on the phone. Using the term potential in it's loosest form!

He wanted a 5 page web site, domain name and hosting.

No problem gave him a rough price and said I would email him the questionaire that we ask people to fill out ref web site design, that would be followed up by a personal visit to discuss exact requirements.

His reaction to the price was to say he would only pay half that and because of the recession he wanted it on a 90 day invoice with the 90 days starting from when the site was up on line completed!

My reply was that in that case I did not want his business, he demanded to speak to the owner so he could complain.

I informed he he has the pleasure of speaking to the owner! He asked why in these difficult times how dare I turn away business, and that I should give him a valid reason why I was doing it.

My answer was that he had the makings of a first class pain in the rear and was not of this planet, and that it was my business and I could refuse who I wanted.

He spluttered that he would go to another better company, I replied "Excellent" and put the phone down.

The pleasures of working for myself!!!!

[Samaliel]

He asked why in these difficult times how dare I turn away business, and that I should give him a valid reason why I was doing it.

Perhaps because in these difficult times, people running businesses want clients that are actually willing to pay for the services provided. Possibly with a part of that upfront. You know, so they can actually stay in business. And not work for free until the bugger of a client decides their 15-year-old random relative can do a much better job and be paid in Twinkies.

[MelodiousBubbles]

Ooooh how I wish I could say things like that. Fairly soon I will be, if everything goes according to prophecy.

But... Seriously? Half your quote on a 90 day invoice AFTER the site's up? Whatever he's smoking, it must be some good shit.

[RobertM]

Ooooh how I wish I could say things like that. Fairly soon I will be, if everything goes according to prophecy.

But... Seriously? Half your quote on a 90 day invoice AFTER the site's up? Whatever he's smoking, it must be some good shit.

I do sometimes wonder what some customers are on!!!

In this case I think it was another planet

[CruiseShipGirl]

These people make me laugh. My husband is a web and graphic designer who works for himself as well. I can only imagine what he would say to someone who would try to pull this. He is already very reasonably priced compared to most (except of course the high schoolers who have taken 1 computer course and think they can be a designer). He is pretty steadily busy, but there would NEVER be a point where he would be desperate enough to accept a customer like that. Time and sanity are worth more than a cheap, stupid customer.

[RobertM]

These people make me laugh. My husband is a web and graphic designer who works for himself as well. I can only imagine what he would say to someone who would try to pull this. He is already very reasonably priced compared to most (except of course the high schoolers who have taken 1 computer course and think they can be a designer). He is pretty steadily busy, but there would NEVER be a point where he would be desperate enough to accept a customer like that. Time and sanity are worth more than a cheap, stupid customer.

I totally agree, the problems these people cause make them not worth while.

I have enough customers and work to be able to turn away people like this.

Having worked in the past 17 odd years in retail I don't think now I would have the patience to deal with them in a retail setting.

Working for myself has so many advantages, no idiots above me who may not back me up and no idiots below be to get me in the crap with their actions either!!

[ta2ooed1]

Time and sanity are worth more than a cheap, stupid customer.

Quoted for TRUTH!!!

[lordlundar]

Maybe you could work out a compromise?