As
graphic designers most of us has that client from hell sort of story to
tell. Especially those starting freelance designers since they tend to
lower their rates to encourage clients to hire them. More often than not
it’s the new guys in the industry who gets most of these so-called
clients from hell since they (the freelancers) are charging
significantly lower than the more established ones. While we keep
ourselves from being abused by making use of contracts there are times
that the client’s horrendous attitude really kills our will to work
consequently slowly making us feel inferior about ourselves. One thing
that we designers can do is spot which is the good client (or the
tolerable one) and avoid the potentially dangerous ones.
I have
listed some of the tell-tale signs of clients that can be potentially
bad for your business and how you can deal with them.
Tell-tale sign 1: “I know someone from the family who can do it but they are busy as of the moment.”
Either
these people are related to a real graphic designer (hence the busy
reason) or they see you as another option since cousin Matt who plays
with Photoshop and had posted some of his work in Facebook which
garnered 3 likes but he is too busy working on this:
These
are the type of people who often take graphic design for granted since
they know someone related can work their way around Photoshop after a
few tutorials.
But this person is exactly my client right now:
One
thing that you can do is that you can show them the difference of a
good design from a bad design. If they are stubborn and they still
undervalue your work drop the job and move on. Simple as that since they
have someone from the family who can do it anyway.
Tell-tale sign 2: The X-Deal
Just
because you are new to the industry does it mean that you need a
client’s testimony just to prove how good you are. If a client is asking
you to do something for free in exchange of promotion just politely
decline (not unless its a big of a company something like Apple or IKEA
which I highly doubt). Of course you are new to the game but getting
paid by promotion is a joke and as designers promoting ourselves is one
of our tasks, which is why we have our portfolios posted online.
But this person is exactly my client right now:
Consider
yourself lucky if your client gives you all the creative freedom you
need but for those who are not, better drop it because you could have
used your time doing personal work or looking for someone who is willing
to pay instead.
Tell-tale sign 3: That’s Not Complicated
We
graphic designers often hear the phrase: “That shouldn’t be too hard to
do” or “that’s easy isn’t?” clients who often use this phrases only
demonstrate their lack of understanding of how design works. These
people seem to think that we designers have the easiest job in the world
(since we are in front of the computer most of the time). Apart from
that they also think that a design project doesn’t cost that much and it
won’t take time to finish the job.
ME: "Hello,
I'm phoning regarding the image you sent earlier. It's way too small,
it's only 640×480 pixels. Ideally we would need something 10x that size.
Also it's out of focus and essentially we can't use it. It would look
pretty terrible at A4 size."
Client: "Ah, I see. Can't you do anything with it? Can't you work your usual magic on this?"
Me: "I'm
afraid not. It simply is not of a high enough quality that I would
recommend using it on an A4 magazine advert. If we could get a high
resolution photo taken by a professional photographer then maybe we
could go further from there."
Client: "Can't you just wave your magic wand and make it better?"
Me: "I'm not Harry Potter."
Client: "Well I'm very disappointed in you…."
But this person is exactly my client right now:
I
suggest you explain to them as much as possible the process of how
graphic design is made and how it works. Show them the process that good
design is not as easy as a flick of a wrist.
Tell-tale sign 4: “We want to hire you because you are the cheapest available.”
If
this client is a charitable institution then sure go ahead, but if it’s
not and your would be client often mentions the phrase: “we just don’t
have enough funds” then this is a bad sign. This can very much lead to
complications like delayed paychecks or worst you might not see that
check at all if you are not careful enough.
But this person is exactly my client right now:
This
is why we designers make use of contracts and a 30-50% up-front payment
before taking on the job. Not only does it assure the client that you
will finish the job, but it will also assure you that you will be paid
at the end of the project. In case they do not honor the contract
better get yourself a lawyer.
Tell-tale sign 4: Vague Person or I-Don’t-Know-Why-Don’t-You-Show-Me-Something Person
Most
of the the clients have at least an idea for a project but once in a
while you will get to face some clients that don’t know and don’t have
any ideas at all. Most of the time they just want something like a
website or a something to market themselves even though in reality they
don’t need it, they want one because their competitors have one. These
clients are often indecisive and known to be giving out really vague
instructions.
Client: Well… we just want the logo to be less corn-related. Can you just make it less corn-like?
Me: I'm sorry? I was under the impression was that this was exactly what you were looking for.
Client:
No, no, it is. It is! But we discussed it and we think people would
probably be bored by the whole corn part. So let's make it less
corn-related.
Me: I must not be understanding. The product you're trying to sell is still corn, right?
CLIENT: Yes. But try not to draw to much attention to that.
But this person is exactly my client right now:
Good
communication is the key in getting through this mess. Do not hesitate
to tell your client that their instructions are vague and really
obscure. If they still prove to be difficult to work with despite all
the patience that you poured in, it might be a good idea to sack them
and move on.
Tell-tale sign 5: Mr/Ms. Unrealistic
The
name says it all. These are the clients that will put you through
unrealistic deadlines and expect a lot despite the cheap pay that you
will get. Sure, working on a rush design is great since you can charge
more and this will be a breeze if the client is cooperative and
considerate (which by the way are rare nowadays).
But this person is exactly my client right now:
As
much as possible try to tell them that such ideas won’t work, give them
proofs that their budget wouldn’t allow it, walk them through the
process of design and make them realize that a good design takes a bit
of time to complete.
Tell-tale sign 6: Know-It-All
If
your client often mentions: “I know design too” or “Yep, I know that”
it could either mean that he is genuinely a person with a background in
design or just some guy who thinks he knows design. This tell-tale sign
is much of a 50-50 split since if clients have a bit of knowledge in
design then getting your point across wouldn’t be too difficult. You no
longer have to bother explaining why you choose to use 2-3 typeface is
better than using 6 typefaces all at the same time. Things might get
sour if you happen to come across to a guy who thinks he knows design.
They would often ignore your solutions and insist that their knowledge
in design is way better than yours.
A good example of how things will turn out is this:
But this person is exactly my client right now:
You
can either let them go or bear with them. There are some days that we
graphic designers have to bow down to the client’s will just to put food
on the table. It is not worth arguing with a client who thinks they
know it way better than you do.
Tell-tale sign 7: Always Late
If
you find yourself in a client meeting and your client is awfully late
you might want to reconsider taking the job. Because this only goes to
show how much your client values your time. As graphic designers being
on time is a crucial part of the package that we sell to customers. We
value our client’s time and as much as possible we want to finish the
project right on schedule, so how come the client won’t do the same for
you.
But this person is exactly my client right now:
As
much as possible tell them that you need the materials, you need to
meet and whatever it is that you and your client has to do to get the
job done. Just don’t delete emails, text messages and call logs as
proofs that you reminded them in case they turn the story around against
you.
Tell-tale sign 8: The Grouch
If
your would be client often slips in the: “I once hired this guy but he
screwed it all up” or “I remember this one designer who is equally as
bad as the other guy” a couple of times in your conversation run fast
and avoid them at all costs. These are the type of people who are never
satisfied with anyone’s work because of their insane expectations. They
are most likely to give really tight schedules and drive you around like
a horse, since they will ask you to revise your design over and over
again until they are satisfied (which they are not). Nothing is wrong in
being a perfectionist but some clients can be a little too over and
cross the line between a perfectionist to an obsess maniac.
But this person is exactly my client right now:
This
is a big challenge for you. If you get this person to be amused and
overall happy with your work then you have done very well, if not well
at least you know how to deal with them. You can also go ahead and ask
them why did they fire their last designer and what did go wrong with
project. This will help you gauge whether who’s fault really is it. If
they give out the impression that all the designer this person worked
with in the past was really bad then ditch them because you wouldn’t
want to be in their hate-list.
Communication goes a long
way in dealing with such clients, but remember that you are not their
slaves and that you are also trying to put food on the table so do not
let them abuse you. Looking for the right client involves a lot of
patience and hard work so do not despair, if ever you found yourself in
those sticky situations just remember that everyone goes through this
phase. Clients that are worth keeping are those who value your opinion,
work and pay you enough for all the trouble you went through. If ever
you find that client be sure to foster and nurture a good work
relationship with them.
