Fired a problem client last week (and I'm still nervous about it)

This client kept adding small, unpaid tasks to our agreed work, and after the fourth 'quick favor' request, I told them we needed a new contract or to part ways. Part of me thinks dropping any income stream is crazy, but the other part feels my time and peace are worth more. Has anyone else cut loose a client that was just too much hassle, even when the money was okay?

3 comments

3 Comments

tara151mo ago

Yeah, it's wild how those small asks pile up. Reminds me of my friend who is a baker, she had a wedding client who kept asking for 'just one more' sugar flower on each tier, no extra charge. By the end, it was like a whole second cake's worth of work. She said the final payment felt hollow because she was so tired of the whole thing. Makes you wonder if some people just test limits to see what they can get.

uma6061mo ago

Yikes, @tara15, I feel seen. My own version of that is agreeing to tiny changes until the job has doubled. It's like a slow motion test of how much free work I'll give.

caleb6101mo ago

Wait, hold up. Sometimes people are just trying to get it right, you know? Like with that wedding cake, maybe the person just had a picture in their head and kept seeing spots that looked empty. They're paying a ton for a one time thing, so they get nervous and nitpick. It's not always a sneaky test. Some folks are bad at explaining what they want from the start, so they ask for tweaks as they see it come together. It's frustrating, but it doesn't have to be a war.