Mr. & Mrs. High Maintenance:: Client Relations

Every freelancer and small business owner, will at some point in their, career meet Mr. or Mrs. High Maintenance.  They may even patronize your business together.  Learning how to effectively communicate and set boundaries will be critical when dealing with them.  Not all high maintenance clients are bad, there are different levels within the high maintenance category and I have outlined a few that I have seen below.

The Freak Out Client

This client will call you in a panic, and on the verge of having a heart attack because the Internet is down, or the sky fell…  This client is very passionate about their business and the work you are doing for them really matters to them.  That is not a bad thing; it’s a really good thing and can really help to motivate a freelancer to put out great work.  Because they are so passionate and perhaps a bit fearful of things not going right, they may have a tendency to constantly call, email and send singing telegrams.  The key to working with a client like this is to give them what they need – reassurance.  Create a schedule to give them updates on the project on a daily basis.  Make the updates detailed and have them send you any questions or concerns in one bulk email or during a daily update call.  This helps to create some boundaries so that you are not inundated with calls and emails and also provides reassurance and clarity on the project’s progress.

 

The “I Am Paying You” Client

This client can be a bit difficult to deal with because the involvement of money changing from their hands to yours, for goods or services means you are now property.  Do you try to keep set office hours and a nice work/life balance?  That will not fly with this type of client.  If they call you at midnight Christmas Eve, you better answer because they are paying you.  Any excuse for denying an unreasonable request will be met with the statement, “but I’m paying you…” The best way I have found to deal with this type of client is one of two ways:  have a heart to heart talk and lay out the boundaries to continue the project, or have a heart to heart talk about discontinuing the project.  Again, communication is key.  It is possible to speak to the client and have a civil conversation (not argument) about the issues that have come up and come to an agreement to continue or discontinue with the project.  If the client needs you to be available at midnight on Christmas Eve and you are unable to do that; ultimately you cannot meet the clients’ expectations and are not a good fit for them.

 

The I Needed It Yesterday Client

We live in a busy world and some of us have very busy and demanding careers. Some clients may contact you for a job that would ordinarily take two weeks to complete and need you to turn it around that same day.  This may also be a chronic occurrence from the same client.  Never fear, if it is a chronic occurrence, they will be used to your chronic reply of the mission impossible.  Sometimes clients hope that today may be the day that you are finally able to perform the miracle that beats all miracles.  My mother used to tell me that it never hurts to ask something; the worst that could happen is that someone says “no.”  Politely explain why you will not be able to perform the request in the time period needed and give a timeline for when you can get the request done.  I find that in most cases, the client will still get the work done.

 

The Friends & Family Client

This client knows you outside of the scope of your business.  They may have changed your poopy diapers or have dark secrets about you, that you never want to see the light of day.  They usually want a discount for work that will probably drive you insane.  While you may feel a sense of loyalty and perhaps a fear of retribution, you have to set boundaries with this client on what to expect and the project parameters.  They will need to understand that while their relationship with you is of a personal nature, the project relationship is of a business nature and will be treated as such.

Above anything else, communication is the key to dealing with any client and developing a successful working relationship.