Warning: I almost lost a $2,500 client because I didn't set a clear timeline

Last month, a client in Austin asked for a website redesign and I just said 'sure, I'll get it done soon' without giving a real date. Three weeks went by with vague check-ins and they got really mad, almost pulling the whole job. I learned you have to give a real deadline, even for small steps. Has anyone else had a client get upset over something that simple?

3 comments

3 Comments

nina_sullivan613mo ago

Yeah, vague timelines will kill a job fast. You gotta give them a real date, even if it's just for the first draft. Good point from @michael895 too, clear rules from the start stop the revision creep.

michael8953mo ago

Timelines matter, but clear payment terms have saved me from bigger headaches. A client once tried to push for endless revisions after the work was done, but my contract had a hard stop at three rounds. Setting those rules early keeps things from getting messy later on.

oliver_ward142mo ago

My old boss in Chicago taught me to always add a "client buffer week" to any internal deadline. If I know a draft will take me five days, I tell them it'll be ready in two weeks. That extra time covers when I get sick or something else blows up, and they're always thrilled when I deliver "early". It makes you look like a hero instead of someone scrambling at the last minute.