How to deal with Fools? Or am I a fool?

If you work through RentACoder, they will arbitrate issues like this between you and your customers.

One trick I use with some of my clients is to create forms for them to fill out. Go for multiple choice and short-answer.

And request 25% payment up front.

Alternatively, build web sites for yourself and make money from advertisers. It's a lot less hassle, IMHO.

 

You need to provide them direction. It's an area they no nothing about.

Say I build engines and you know nothing of engines. So you come to me and say "hey, build me a nice engine".

So I say what kind of cam setup do you want?
Do you want a carb or fuel injetion ?
Do you want a super high compression ratio or a more normal compression ration ?
Do you want to use the stock bore or do you want to bore it out ?

You'll have no idea what I'm talking about and probably feel confused and overwhelmed. Peoples typical response to feeling confused and overwhelmed is to somehow take it out on you.

So try this, gauge their technical knowledge and if they have none give them baby talk and slowly guide them through their options and try to remember my engine analogy.

take care

 

You better ask no questions and throw a random website at them to hear the answers!

 

Hi Nick,

The problem with having a web design company whether you have staff or your a freelancer are all the same. In this company we always request 50% up front and 50% upon completion. We find that when a client knows you have got some of their money they are less likely to p*ss you around quite so much.

The key that i learnt the hard way is that if someone is swapping and changing ideas and generally messing you around tell them that either they stick to an original idea or they get charged more. If you for instance were hiring a funeral director you wouldn't wait until they were about to lower the coffin before saying you wanted the individual cremated would you??

A bit of a drastic example but it pays to be hard sometimes with these guys otherwise they will walk all over you.

Good look anyway.