client shamelessly asks you to change few words every week for free

Tell them that you're sorry but you will no longer be able to make small changes for free. Then tell them that you can charge them a monthly or hourly fee for updates. Or you could just send them a bill (sorta kidding on that one)

Next time it would be a good idea to set out these sort of details from the beginning.

give 'em an inch...

Boy do *I* own that t-shirt! I wish that I had a pat answer.. maybe I do - You'll have to draw a line somewhere. Where that line is varies from client to client, project to project. I have some clients that I have no problem with an alteration here or there at no charge, usually because they are either very good clients, very good people, or both. There are other clients that I will not give an inch beyond to project confines. And then, there is all that gray area in between.

Early on, there were situations where I'd let things get out of control or even worse, lost control to the client. This does not happen to me anymore

Is this project still under construction or is it "finished? Is your client a sole individual or a committee? I find committees particularly bad because everyone and their cousin puts in 2 cents worth and the content changes umpteen times. Even in a single client situation, he may get 2nd, 3rd, 4th opinions.

It really isn't unusual for the content to undergo various rounds of tweaking. Just don't let it get too out of hand.

i say charge (like what Megan said) when things get too out of hand or when it starts to annoy u

yeah sounds like something i've experienced before. Give them an millimeter, and they'll take a kilometer

Before anything, ensure that your fine print in your "contract" states how many times updates/changes can be made before re-charging them. This way, they have no choice but to.. comply.

Also, Asians tend to be sweet smiling and .. {I'm 1/4 Asian} not being frank. Be frank, don't smile too much, when you actually want to show your Tiger Face.

Also, try to get your hands on Thick Skinned Black Heart, the book. Its a boost for all technopreneurs.

AA

I always charge and monthly fee and give them a certain amount of maintenance a month. I have one customer that is a royal pain and really difficult to deal with. He also wants the changes made quick when he remembers. I charge him about 3 times what I charge others because of this.

Here's what I do
I make the original program, and tell them that I'll do small upgrades which involve changing no more than 5 lines in one page and 50 total for free
After 1 month or 5/50 lines I start charging.

Another alternative is to package a job inclusive of re-do's and updates. This is a typical business trick - then tell your clients u'll include 3 FREE updates or something like that, but in reality, you've already charged them in advance for that. Nothing is given for FREE, not even Oxygen

You can try to charge them and probably have an argument over it. Maybe you'll win, maybe not.

IMO it depends how much time the changes are really taking you (2-3 words every couple of days doesn't seem like much effort) verses how important staying on good terms with the client is to you. It really isn't a good idea to nickel-and-dime clients.

In the future write your contracts to be absolutely clear that once the site is completed periodic updates/changes will be charged.

hmmm good point Jaiem

i normally make it clear from the start (in a written contract) that they have one month after signing off the project for minor alterations, then all other changes are chargeable.

However, i do let some through if they're small changes, i'm starting to change the way i work however, and i'm providing an interface to allow the customer to change the text themselves... its reletivly easy to do, and keeps them off my back!

Quote: Originally posted by AainaalyaA
Give them an millimeter, and they'll take a kilometer

ahh the metric version

:batman: man i know how that feels! i would let that person know that any future updates will be logged by the hour and billed. Also, state in your web design contract how much updates will cost, so it doesn't come as a shock to anyone when you bill them for mini updates.

Let's say you charged $40/hour for updates, thats $120 of updates that guy got from you i've had that happen to me alot until i had to put my foot down. i have to make a living too, and when people requested so much from me to get free updates, it took away from my paying clients.

What business is your customer in? lets say for example he's a baker, why don't you just ring him up every 3 to 4 days and say hey how about a couple of free loaves of bread, maybe he'll get the message that way.

These are all good ideas - that's why i like reading these forums.

My idea - send a letter : "To all our valued customers" Maybe the letter just goes out to this one guy, but it is a POLICY letter.

"I appreciate the business everyone gives me, but I need to make some concrete policy. Starting May 1, updates not already covered in your agreement will happilty be taken care of at $45 per hour (or whatever). " Send the guy an invoice the next time you do 3-4 hours worth of work in a week.

Matt

"Shame on you for asking me to maintain your site for free.
Shame on me for not negotiating a maintenance contract."

you could say "If u save up all your requests for changes til the end of the month... i'll charge u less for batches/job lots..."

when he asks if you are joking, say, straight faced "it's getting so that soon, i will have to charge you."

then diffuse the situation by laughing "i had to charge my granny the other day... and my dad!"

the requests will come less and less.
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Secret-Lemonade-Drinker

How valuable is the service of making these small changes for your clients? Come on lets be honest you making these small and minor changes really isn't that time consuming or difficult, right? of course not becuase theay are "small" sure your ultimate service deserves to be paid for, but your service of making these small changes isn't valuable enough to be paid for. Hope that helps.

I quite disagree. I kept records of "small changes" that I didn't bill a client for and over the course of a year it added up to almost two and a half solid weeks of labour.