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I really try to be professional and I also try to put my client's best interest ahead of my own. I try not to reply to an email out of frustration and I end up deleting a few emails until I am sure I am not sounding like a jerk, but how far do you go? I mean, I appreciate the work; it feeds my family after all, but at what point do you put your foot down?
I have this project that I worked through the real estate agent with. She called all the shots. I gave my opinion and did what she asked. The house isn't anything I am going to show as my own because well, it isn't that good. The project was two eye-level exterior renderings and a couple interior renderings. She is allowed two sets of revisions for each view and she is on 4-5 revisions. Again, I try to put my clients needs ahead of my own (sleep), so I gently remind that there are a limited number of revisions and I make the change anyway. The exteriors were approved, but guess what, she showed it to her client and they had another vision for the exteriors. My clients said, "I showed the renderings to my client and we missed the mark!". First, I didn't miss the mark, you did. Of course, I thought this but didn't say it. Her client wants aerial, which to me, are more difficult and had I known, the quote would have been different. What now? She maxed out her revisions and my kindness to make changes for free and her client isn't happy. In my eyes, it will cost more and I am not the one who has to pay for it with my time. However, I do several projects a year with the company and I don't want to jeopardize that. She knows this, too. When she knows she is asking for more than she paid for she says, "I have several other projects I am planning on sending to you". I do work for this company, but it is always a different person. Each project has very little information, so it's usually trial and error at every step of the process. This same job I built the interior kitchen per the plans, however, apparently, that's not going to sell the house, so everything was changed. Same for the living room. I placed furniture where the plan showed and I built a fireplace per the plan, but again, that's not what she wanted.
My theory is this, and I might be way off. I had someone inquire about a project that I wasn't interested in, so I pointed this person to a freelance site. I warned him about low skilled people and he might be working with people overseas, so communication may be an issue. He said, and it is burnt into my mind, "oh, not a problem, I can work them day and night and they won't say a word". I thought, really? They are people, working to feed their families too and you are going to take advantage of it? Is this how Americans think? This company has used a service overseas, however, they said that the images were not of high enough quality, so they sought out someone like me, who might be able to do better. I think they are used to the unlimited revisions for pennies on the dollar and people being yes men.
At what point do you make your clients abide by your agreement, without wavering? How passive should one be? I want to be a pleasure to work with, however, pleasing one person pisses another person off when their project is being delayed.
I have this project that I worked through the real estate agent with. She called all the shots. I gave my opinion and did what she asked. The house isn't anything I am going to show as my own because well, it isn't that good. The project was two eye-level exterior renderings and a couple interior renderings. She is allowed two sets of revisions for each view and she is on 4-5 revisions. Again, I try to put my clients needs ahead of my own (sleep), so I gently remind that there are a limited number of revisions and I make the change anyway. The exteriors were approved, but guess what, she showed it to her client and they had another vision for the exteriors. My clients said, "I showed the renderings to my client and we missed the mark!". First, I didn't miss the mark, you did. Of course, I thought this but didn't say it. Her client wants aerial, which to me, are more difficult and had I known, the quote would have been different. What now? She maxed out her revisions and my kindness to make changes for free and her client isn't happy. In my eyes, it will cost more and I am not the one who has to pay for it with my time. However, I do several projects a year with the company and I don't want to jeopardize that. She knows this, too. When she knows she is asking for more than she paid for she says, "I have several other projects I am planning on sending to you". I do work for this company, but it is always a different person. Each project has very little information, so it's usually trial and error at every step of the process. This same job I built the interior kitchen per the plans, however, apparently, that's not going to sell the house, so everything was changed. Same for the living room. I placed furniture where the plan showed and I built a fireplace per the plan, but again, that's not what she wanted.
My theory is this, and I might be way off. I had someone inquire about a project that I wasn't interested in, so I pointed this person to a freelance site. I warned him about low skilled people and he might be working with people overseas, so communication may be an issue. He said, and it is burnt into my mind, "oh, not a problem, I can work them day and night and they won't say a word". I thought, really? They are people, working to feed their families too and you are going to take advantage of it? Is this how Americans think? This company has used a service overseas, however, they said that the images were not of high enough quality, so they sought out someone like me, who might be able to do better. I think they are used to the unlimited revisions for pennies on the dollar and people being yes men.
At what point do you make your clients abide by your agreement, without wavering? How passive should one be? I want to be a pleasure to work with, however, pleasing one person pisses another person off when their project is being delayed.
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