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I was just reminded of this story! I have no idea why I didn't share it here when it happened, but I'm pretty sure I haven't. (Edit: Okay, actually I did mention it once before. Fail me! Oh well. I share it again.)
Anyway. A couple of years ago I was hired by a guy to make him a fursuit. He gave me a deadline, and I gave him an initial completion estimate that was actually a month or two before said deadline, so everything looked great.
But, as sometimes happens, life turned up and things got delayed. I was still on track for his deadline, but told him I was not going to make the initial estimate, it was going to be later than that. Normally this kind of thing goes fine, but this guy started to get antsy. He stalked my project list, and e-mailed me every time I updated it. He IMed me pretty regularly, asking for progress reports, and when I finally did start in on his costume, and I thought he might back off, he actually got even more stalker-ish and was constantly on my back about when it would be done.
Now it so happened that in addition to life issues causing delays, I also had some life issues causing me to be broke. The costume I was working on for this impatient fellow still had a lot of work left to do on it, so no matter how quickly I finished it, I wouldn't get the money in time to take care of the bills I had right then and there. So I put up a little advertisement for a handful of really small rush commissions, (things like a tail or a pair of ears) that I would finish in a single day and mail out immediately, so I could have some immediate cash.
And this guy sent me a long, rambling, ranty e-mail about how he was "hurt" (that's literally the word he used) that I would take on these other projects when his wasn't done yet, and if I needed money so badly I should be working all day every day on his project, so that I could get the final payment he owed me.
Hurt. Because I was taking other customers and was going to delay his project ONE DAY when he'd already waited six months. One. Freaking. Day. And getting his suit done and getting his money in 14 days rather than in 15 days wasn't going to help me with the bills that need paying TODAY!!!
Gah.
I still am kind of pissed at the guy. As if he had some right to dictate who else I'd do business with, just because he was a customer! As if anything at all about how I choose to do my work is any of his business so long as I met the deadline I agreed on with him, which I DID!
And also frankly he was really starting to creep me out. I was very glad when I did finish and was able to mail his project off, lemme tell you!
Anyway. A couple of years ago I was hired by a guy to make him a fursuit. He gave me a deadline, and I gave him an initial completion estimate that was actually a month or two before said deadline, so everything looked great.
But, as sometimes happens, life turned up and things got delayed. I was still on track for his deadline, but told him I was not going to make the initial estimate, it was going to be later than that. Normally this kind of thing goes fine, but this guy started to get antsy. He stalked my project list, and e-mailed me every time I updated it. He IMed me pretty regularly, asking for progress reports, and when I finally did start in on his costume, and I thought he might back off, he actually got even more stalker-ish and was constantly on my back about when it would be done.
Now it so happened that in addition to life issues causing delays, I also had some life issues causing me to be broke. The costume I was working on for this impatient fellow still had a lot of work left to do on it, so no matter how quickly I finished it, I wouldn't get the money in time to take care of the bills I had right then and there. So I put up a little advertisement for a handful of really small rush commissions, (things like a tail or a pair of ears) that I would finish in a single day and mail out immediately, so I could have some immediate cash.
And this guy sent me a long, rambling, ranty e-mail about how he was "hurt" (that's literally the word he used) that I would take on these other projects when his wasn't done yet, and if I needed money so badly I should be working all day every day on his project, so that I could get the final payment he owed me.
Hurt. Because I was taking other customers and was going to delay his project ONE DAY when he'd already waited six months. One. Freaking. Day. And getting his suit done and getting his money in 14 days rather than in 15 days wasn't going to help me with the bills that need paying TODAY!!!
Gah.
I still am kind of pissed at the guy. As if he had some right to dictate who else I'd do business with, just because he was a customer! As if anything at all about how I choose to do my work is any of his business so long as I met the deadline I agreed on with him, which I DID!
And also frankly he was really starting to creep me out. I was very glad when I did finish and was able to mail his project off, lemme tell you!
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