Attitude adjustment

[Sawyer]

Its mine that needs adjusting. Recently I have noticed that I am dreading answering the phone. I am beginning to dread clients calls. It seems like the last few months it has been a string of impossible deadlines false starts and unfair expectations. Last fri I got a call for me to do a rush job due early this week. I said the soonest I could have it ready was Wed I set up a bid and I get the plans and I am told I need to wait for approval. In the mean get I have 2 more jobs that need to done by Wed (of course). Now these jobs only work if I get the plans when I am told I will get them. I am told I will have them ready by the end of the day and it doesn't happen. Then I have lost a whole nights worth of work and the deadline is that much closer.

 

bah.

[shaneis]

"...Then I have lost a whole nights worth of work and the deadline is that much closer..."

 

Umm, no. It's their delay, not yours. Maybe consider stating an amount of working days as your "soonest I can have it done" as opposed to setting a date. The more you bend-over (excuse the language), the more they'll abuse it.

 

Seems you need to set some firm boundaries. I understand that we all need the money, but in the end, it is you that is allowing clients to make you pay for their mistakes.

 

Sure, they'll threaten to give the job to someone else, but they'll also realise that finding another person to do the job takes time. Fact is, people would rather push you into an impossible situation so that when their boss starts screaming, they can blame you instead of taking the wrap themselves.

 

You're a contractor, not their slave.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Shane.

[Sawyer]

Thanks Shane- In most of these case I don't think anyone is holding me to blame and I don't feel bad about saying no when its not possible but at the same time the deadline doesn't change and the image still needs to get done.

 

Its just been the last 2-3 months that I have had a real peak in these kinds of projects.

[shaneis]

I'm wondering if it's the same "repeat offenders". If so, then maybe you could have a bit of a chat with them - re-establish your arrangements, or even start including some sort of "additional services" fee for abnormally tight deadlines.

 

The last thing you want is for them to start making a habit of it.

 

By the way, your attitude don't need fixing - anyone would be dreading phonecalls like that. However, if you know that they'll make it worth your while to meet unreasonable deadlines, the pain is somewhat easier to take. I mean, contracts often have "ahead of time" bonuses and inversely, "project overdue" penalties. Surely it's not unreasonable to have a "super-human effort required" bonus in there as well?

[ipxstudios]

Absolutely agree with you. The tighter the deadline the less time there is to get in the detail to make it look good - then all of a sudden it's your fault. If the project is delivered late - then it's your fault again. I am really tired of the attitudes of clients that think we push buttons and a project is done instantly.

I try to educate my clients but they just don't understand the process - especially these days when they want everything photo-real then don't understand why it takes so long to render - animations particularly.

What do we do? I don't have any ideas. I find that clients that have been through the process a few times are more understanding - maybe those you stick with.

[PAWUK]

I am really tired of the attitudes of clients that think we push buttons and a project is done instantly.

QUOTE]

 

 

 

Its what I call the 'sketchup effect', more and more programmes are coming onto the market and sold through PC world and on line that seem to offer the one click solution. At a fraction of the cost of the programmes used by most people on this forum.

 

I think its the same these days in most 3D fields, I work in the exhibition and interia design business and we constantly get clients ringing up thinking all we do is move the mouse around and Bingo job done.....

 

To be honest I don't see it getting any better anytime soon, the only flip side will be that hopefully the industry programmes will equally get better, quicker & more importantly 'cheaper' ....some hope on the cheaper bit

[JonRashid]

I used to be scared to turn work down. But found that if you say your too busy to complete by their deadline, it's surprising how many people come back and say when could we have it by then? There are a lot of visualisers out there but not a lot of good quick ones. Honesty often pays off in the long run. Better that than miss a deadline you said you would hit. Think it all boils down to confidence which isn't always easy to acquire.

[Tommy Burns]

I usually tell them "it's a mouse I have in my hand not a magic wand":)

[alexg]

I second what JonRashid said.

 

Other than that, I think you need a break, Sawyer.

That sounds exactly like me when I am burnt out.

Invest in a holiday, somewhere where there's no mobile reception, no internet. Just 2-3 days will do wonders.

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

I am really tired of the attitudes of clients that think we push buttons and a project is done instantly.

 

I can't wait until I can push a button, and the project is done. I have lots of ideas, but not enough time to execute them as it is.

[IC]

In my working life in the creative/design sector, I've noticed a distinction between the type of person who gets immersed in their work and takes pride in what they are doing (almost until it takes over everything else) and the type who enjoys dealing with people (in business, not socially) and just gets the job done and out the door.

 

I started out as the latter and am slowly becoming the former.

 

The only solution is to get a non creative business partner who is organised and disciplined and will tell me when to stop something and start something else, when to sleep and eat and will answer my calls and tell people when to sod off when they're being unreasonable.

 

Oh wait, that's my wife!

[Ernest Burden III]

I can't wait until I can push a button, and the project is done. I have lots of ideas, but not enough time to execute them as it is.

 

Agreed, that's part of why I took my work all-digital.

 

A colleague of mine often refuses to answer his phones on Friday afternoons to avoid those weekend-ruining client calls. I'm not that smart, I guess.

 

I'm pretty tired of projects where the best you can say of your work is "at least we got it done". But if the mortgage is due, you may need to do things you don't want to to be sure you'll make that deadline.

 

Principles are the first meal of the hungry.

[kippu]

phew i thought i was the only one ... i hate talking to clients about deadlines and projects ... end up saying yes to everything ... emails are so much easy to communicate cleanly ....but the phone calls do come ...

[colinsmith]

I think for calls, just have one phrase ready at all times - "..... and it will not cost all that much extra" - to be added at the end of your reply as a pre-emptive measure every time the client asks for anything ;-)

 

"not all that much" can then be translated to whatever % is needed when you have some time to think about it.

 

If you really have NO idea how much extra it will cost to do what they want, just switch over to "....and I will get you a quote for the extras before the end of the day"

 

 

The short version, do not say "yes" or "no", always say "Yes of course, but..." and make sure the "but" covers whatever is needed to make you feel happy about doing the work.

[rotten42]

What's happening to you happens to all of us at some point. I was experiencing it at the begining of the year. I took 2 months where I cut back on work a great deal. I had to reset myself.

 

 

Now I'm working on a huge project and I'm going therough the same thing. The only difference this time is I'm holding the client accountable for charges. It's amazing how this makes the stress melt away.

[shaneis]

"I'm holding the client accountable for charges. It's amazing how this makes the stress melt away."

 

Case - in - point...and so you should!

 

Volunteers are retired people who've already made their dough!

[afterglow]

in my experience, clients almost always have more time up their sleeves than they let on.

 

I've recently started laying down the law as far as time-frames, and the same clients who used to always say 'have to have it by Monday or the world ends' are still giving me the work, but are somehow dealing with the fact that it has to fit in with my work schedule. if they really want you to do the work they will work it out at their end.

[Justin Hunt]

Agreed, it is interesting that when you give the client the perception that you a absolutly flat chat, the more they want you, it the, "If you are busy then you must be good, and if you are that good then I want you on the job" attutude.

 

At the same time be upfront as to when you are able to start/ finish. Its easier then appologuising for being late.

 

JHV

[Ky Lane]

Without trying to sounds flippant, introduce them to the 2 on 1 theory.

 

Each project is made up of 3 essential ingredients:

• Time
  
• Budget
  
• Quality
  

 

Simply tell your client, for any project, he can chose any 2 of those ingredients - but it will compromise the 3rd (ie. if you want it done cheap and quick, its gonna be shite. If you want it done cheap and well, dont be in a hurry).

 

You'd be suprised how it puts things in context.

[Nic H]

i live by that rule! I use it all the time.

[warprat]

wow it does'nt matter where you are it happens all over eh....

 

I had it once when my client wanted it tomorrow, I did warn him that it would be very sketchy, then when he saw the render started to complain this and that. I then asked him to talk to his client that he did not. then next thing you know he does'nt want to pay up. that's when I just started to get strict with my clients. Not always a yes from there on, no matter how much I needed the money.

 

I find the need for the money is always the weekness in me, but nowadays I just have to fight it off and see If I can get something better. Sometimes I think that they forget that we have lives too even bachelors. now I'm married, well I just have to be a bit more carefull with my time.

 

To honesty....

 

Cheers.

[Narada]

I usually find that showing my client the 'penalty clauses' in my Services agreement focuses their minds. Some of the biggest problems that i have is with the quality of the CAD files that come down from the CAD Techs, seems that they don't understand the phrase 'Origin 0,0,0 and this i think we all agree is the biggest single ball ache that we have. A client recently sent me a set of drawings that were.......wait for it.....116Km from origin, Max had a cardiac on import so i sent 'em back, the poor CAD Tech didn't know how to pull it back, so i charged em for doing it. But surely when you've been in this game for awhile you have a rough idea of how long something will take? I usually think x days or weeks then add a few days or a week B.A.T onto it. B.A.T being 'Buggering Around Time' known professionally of course as 'MAX Crashing' for no known reason.