c/client-red-flag-watch

Client demanded a 'quick sketch' then used it as the final design

Spent $200 on a proper contract template from a lawyer last month, and it saved me when a client tried to claim my napkin doodle was the deliverable. Has anyone else had to fight over what counts as a 'rough draft'?

2 comments

green.mason•1d ago

Had a client ask for 'unlimited revisions' then got mad when I asked for specifics

This guy hits me up on Upwork last Tuesday, all excited about his new ecommerce site. He says he wants unlimited revisions in the contract, no big deal. I'm thinking, okay, some clients just want that safety net. But then I send him the first mockup and he says 'eh, change the vibe'. I ask what vibe, and he says 'you know, something fresh'. Three rounds later he's mad I haven't read his mind. I had to explain that unlimited revisions doesn't mean unlimited direction. Is it just me or do some clients think we can guess what they're picturing?

2 comments

riley595•2d ago

Unpopular take: that client who pays late isn't always the villain

I had a client in Austin last spring who was 45 days late on a $2,800 branding package. Everyone in here would say run, but when I finally talked to her, it turned out she was dealing with a sudden family medical thing and froze up financially. She paid in full with a sincere apology and a $200 bonus after I gave her a two-week grace period. Has anyone else had a late payer turn out to be a decent person once you actually talked to them?

2 comments

the_jenny•3d ago

Just realized a simple scope checklist stopped 3 client fights before they started

I kept having clients in Medford ask for "just one small change" that turned into 6 more hours of work. After the third time last month, I made a one-page checklist that lists exactly what's included for the flat fee and what costs extra. I give it to them before we even start and they sign it. So far three clients tried to add stuff but backed off when I pointed to the sheet. Has anyone else tried something like a simple checklist or do you use contracts for everything?

2 comments

morgan.cameron•3d ago

Back in 2018 I used to hand off design files with NO guidelines

I just tossed PSDs over email and hoped for the best. Now I watch younger designers do the same thing and it always bites them when a client tries to resize a logo in Word or stretch a layout for a banner. Last month a buddy from Portland sent me a screenshot of his work being used at 300% width with jagged edges. His client just said 'I thought you sent the final version.' Has anyone else noticed this getting worse with all the DIY tools out there?

2 comments

thomas_johnson35•4d ago

That one Monday where a client sent me 14 revisions on a single logo

I had this client from a small coffee shop in Austin who seemed great at first. They said they wanted something simple and trusted my vision. Then Monday rolled around and they emailed me 14 separate revision requests for one logo concept. Things like 'move the leaf 2 pixels left' and 'can the font be more friendly but also more serious.' I spent the whole day just making tiny tweaks and they still weren't happy by evening. Has anyone else had a client who just can't stop tweaking tiny details they don't understand?

2 comments

willow_anderson85•4d ago

The day a client asked me to 'make it pop more' 47 times in one call

I was on a Zoom call with a boutique owner in Portland last month and she literally said 'can you make it pop more' after every single revision I showed her. By the 30th time I realized she had no idea what she actually wanted, she just knew she didn't like what she was seeing. Now I send clients a short form asking for specific examples of designs they like before I even start. Has anyone else dealt with a client who just kept repeating the same vague feedback over and over?

2 comments

jennifer_fisher•5d ago

Client wanted me to skip the expansion joints in their new driveway

Met with a homeowner in Phoenix last Tuesday who insisted the gaps would mess up the look of their concrete. I explained the science but they told me they'd 'watched enough YouTube' to know better. What do you do when a client fights basic physics like that?

2 comments

michaeladams•5d ago

Client asked for unlimited revisions then ghosted after draft 3

Last Tuesday I sent a logo concept to a freelance client who promised payment within 7 days and after 3 rounds of tweaks they just vanished with the vector files and haven't replied to my last 5 emails, has anyone else had someone pull this on a project under $500?

2 comments

sandra146•8d ago

Picked the wrong client last month and it cost me 3 weekends

I had two clients both asking for rush logo work. One was a local coffee shop with a clear brief, the other was a tech startup founder who said "just make it pop." I took the startup job for $1,200 and spent 3 weekends redoing versions he kept hating. The coffee shop guy went with someone else and now I see his logo all over town. Anyone else get burned by picking the flashy client with no direction?

2 comments

john_hunt2•9d ago

Client asked for a 'fun' logo then rejected everything with color

Had a client in Spokane last month who said they wanted something 'fun and modern' for their coffee shop rebrand. I sent them three concepts with bright colors and playful fonts, and they shot down every single one because it wasn't 'serious enough.' Then they asked me to try again but 'keep it professional' which meant black and white only. Anyone else run into clients who say one thing but really mean something totally different?

2 comments

michaeladams•10d ago

I finally stopped saying "we can fix that in post" and it saved a wedding shoot

I was working with this couple for their engagement photos and they kept saying they wanted a sunset look but booked for 10am. I told them we could just edit the colors later, no big deal. Then after three rounds of revisions and 8 hours of masking in Photoshop I realized I was an idiot. Next time I told a different couple straight up "we need to shoot at golden hour or the photos will look fake." They listened, we shot at 6pm, and the final album took me like 30 minutes to edit. Has anyone else had to learn the hard way that picking the right time beats fixing it later?

2 comments