We just resolved a nightmare from a new photography client. They gave vague guidelines and zero specifications beside a poorly done sample of images used in past labels. They accepted the first shot, said they would pay within a week. When she called about the second photo shoot, I asked about the payment. I was told she’d make sure it was in the mail. At the time, the potential of nailing a large corporate account seemed attractive so my partner did not want to pressure them for payment. He’d already chosen to waive our 50% deposit.

Suddenly, the client decided they didn’t like our photos and told us as much. We’d already done the work, delivered finals,and wasted precious time on extensive communications with this client. Our estimate was approved prior to commencing work. When I delivered the invoice for the second image, the client exclaimed that they have never paid that much and she wanted us to deal directly with her client for payment.

It’s a lot of BS – that screams of them trying to worm out of paying for services provided.

I can stand tall knowing that I resolved this with grace and dignity in tack. My choice to offer them an out by paying 60% of the second invoice was based on a desire to close this out before it became a legal issue. Now that we have in an email their agreement and their statement that both checks are in the mail, we do have stronger legal recourse if they fail to pay.

Thanks for the idea. I wish I’d been firmer from the start.

Another thing you might discuss is whether to do work for neighbors or friends. This person was a neighbor. (Note, I didn’t say friend. We barely know them)
Nancy Lamb

Thank you! That’s a great point about weeding out problem clients in advance.

In most cases, clients won’t argue on point #3, so don’t worry too much about it. You can also include a statement in your contract that says “All revisions will be completed promptly following your review of the initial draft.” That way the client has a promise from you regarding revisions in writing.

The added bonus of putting Ed’s tips in place is that it will help you to weed out problematic clients in advance. So if you do encounter a client who has a big problem with this, this is actually a GOOD thing, because you can take it as a major red flag. In my experience, clients who nit-pick on issues relating to payment terms are the ones who end up taking forever to pay. They view freelancers as “suppliers” instead of as valuable partners. Better to avoid them in favour of reasonable clients who will honour reasonable payment policies like the ones Ed recommends.

You can also see more tips relating to getting paid in today’s article, “How to Get Paid Quickly on Every Project.”

I always assumed clients wouldn’t accept this. I figured they would ask “what incentive does that give you to complete my revisions?” How do you respond to that question? Just tell them that you’re a professional who follows through?