I hate clients. Especially people who think things are too offensive. A vector skull on a Death Penalty Awareness poster? Well, not exactly roses but death in context. Sigh... back to work... 
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I hate clients
- Thread starter 7on
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It's the ones who say:
'I dunno, do what you like...'
Then they hate everything you do for them.
...or the ones that want Arial, or the ones that give you images they or a relative has photographed, or the ones that give you copy riddled with errors and expect to reedit a 48pp+ book when it's on page, or the ones that expect to watch over your shoulder while you work, or the ones that constantly call you saying they can't open the EPS logos that their sponsor is sending them, or the ones that want you to use a certain printer, or the ones that come back 6 months later and expect you to modify an existing piece of work for free, or the ones that complain that you're too expensive and get a friend or family member to do something in Publisher...
'I dunno, do what you like...'
Then they hate everything you do for them.
...or the ones that want Arial, or the ones that give you images they or a relative has photographed, or the ones that give you copy riddled with errors and expect to reedit a 48pp+ book when it's on page, or the ones that expect to watch over your shoulder while you work, or the ones that constantly call you saying they can't open the EPS logos that their sponsor is sending them, or the ones that want you to use a certain printer, or the ones that come back 6 months later and expect you to modify an existing piece of work for free, or the ones that complain that you're too expensive and get a friend or family member to do something in Publisher...
...or the ones that go "change that please" and after you changed it "actually make it like it was before" 100 times during a project.
Can't think of anything more right now, it's late over here. Anyway, great topic!
Edit: Or the ones that do not know anything about computers but tell you "this is not much work anyway" all the time.
Can't think of anything more right now, it's late over here. Anyway, great topic!
Edit: Or the ones that do not know anything about computers but tell you "this is not much work anyway" all the time.
Or and this is one of my favourites the ones who pull a tiny 72ppi image off somebody else's website and are mystified as to why it can't be used as the main image on the A1 poster they want producing.Blue Velvet said:
Bonus point if you're told "You can just Photoshop it, though" when you tell them it ain't gonna work.
You guys should know, by now, that everyone's a designer.
I went to school specifically for this, but I have no idea what good design is, or what makes something readable, or when there is just too much text, or what colors look good together, or how to draw attention to something. But you, oh client, in your infinite wisdom, with your Math degree (or whatever- no insult intended), know all that stuff already.
Tell me, what was it you needed me for, again?
I went to school specifically for this, but I have no idea what good design is, or what makes something readable, or when there is just too much text, or what colors look good together, or how to draw attention to something. But you, oh client, in your infinite wisdom, with your Math degree (or whatever- no insult intended), know all that stuff already.
Tell me, what was it you needed me for, again?
Asking for their logo files for a PRINT job
and being directed to a picture on their website
"oh cant you just get it off our website?"
and being directed to a picture on their website
"oh cant you just get it off our website?"
Just remember:
- Clients: bad
- Their money: good
And hope that the good outweighs the bad over time...
- Clients: bad
- Their money: good
And hope that the good outweighs the bad over time...
But you can just Photoshop it, though.technicolor said:Asking for their logo files for a PRINT job and being directed to a picture on their website
Blue Velvet said:It's the ones who say:
'I dunno, do what you like...'
you can't ever win with those people. If it's good, it was their idea. If it's bad, it was your fault. All you can do is make sure you get paid...
EDIT: actually, worse than the stupid clients is working for people who agree to anything the stupid clients want, who then turn around and expect you to make good on it, no matter how stupid or unworkable the idea might be.
technicolor said:Asking for their logo files for a PRINT job
and being directed to a picture on their website
"oh cant you just get it off our website?"
haha, I was told that once, began cursing under my breathe, and when I actually went to the website there was 300dpi TIFFs available.
Very rarely though am I delighted to hear "website" in relation to a print job.Oh and the campus where I work does design work for free (FREE!!!) but we are paid through the university payroll. The clients themselves are normally students or faculty and don't have to pay. Students are usually better because they are more flexible.
bit late to the party, but i had to post to this one!
Long distance client that calls and asks for a 'nice blue background' on a print job
What sort of blue?
The same as I get on my screen when I start my computer up.
Oh no, here we go. . .
The client that sends a low res image to use for print
I call to see if they have a higher res one available.
No, we don't. But you don't need one.
Er?
No, because you can just take a picture of it.
?
. . .
What do you mean? <bracing for it>
You have a digital camera don't you
Yes
Well I understand resolution I know that a screen is not very good.
If you take a picture of the image then it will be a higher resolution.
wha. . . you want me to take a picture of the screen?
Yes, that's it, I can't believe you haven't done it before ha ha, it's sooo obvious
Crikey, now I know that, I'll never have to buy another image from Getty just download the preview, get the camera out . . .
Long distance client that calls and asks for a 'nice blue background' on a print job
What sort of blue?
The same as I get on my screen when I start my computer up.
Oh no, here we go. . .
The client that sends a low res image to use for print
I call to see if they have a higher res one available.
No, we don't. But you don't need one.
Er?
No, because you can just take a picture of it.
?
. . .
What do you mean? <bracing for it>
You have a digital camera don't you
Yes
Well I understand resolution I know that a screen is not very good.
If you take a picture of the image then it will be a higher resolution.
wha. . . you want me to take a picture of the screen?
Yes, that's it, I can't believe you haven't done it before ha ha, it's sooo obvious
Crikey, now I know that, I'll never have to buy another image from Getty just download the preview, get the camera out . . .
I had an absolutely horrible experience with this, except is was only 24 pages. This manual had so many errors in the copy it was ridiculous, but that wasn't my job so I let it go. I sure got an earful after the client actually took the thing to print before proofing it. She threatened not to pay me, but I did get my money. Then she had the audacity to ask me to do some more work for her after the way she treated me.Blue Velvet said:
I thought I had thoroughly buried that experience in my mind's wasteland, thanks for bringing this back to the surface.
chaosbunny said:...or the ones that go "change that please" and after you changed it "actually make it like it was before" 100 times during a project.
Can't think of anything more right now, it's late over here. Anyway, great topic!
Edit: Or the ones that do not know anything about computers but tell you "this is not much work anyway" all the time.
yeah i hate that as well, but getting paid by the hour is an advantage...
Tell me about it!Blue Velvet said:It's the ones who say:
'I dunno, do what you like...'
Then they hate everything you do for them.
im in the middle (end actually , but it seems its never going to end) of a nightmare client right now . she's one of me neighbors , so when i don't respond to the 6-10 repetitive emails a day , full of requests i've already finished , and loooong ass phone messages , summarizing her emails , she will actually have the balls to come to my house .... horrible . now im at the point where she thinks im her at dispose tech support , blogging me with calls and emails for me to come over and fix her printer and figure out why she cant see her email attachments ( no from me obviously ) . point being this lady is creepy and i can't , more or less , escape .
oh , one more example of creepy , in one message she actually said , " i see your car in the driveway , so if you could come over soon ..... " uuuugh , just pay me and be doooooone
oh , one more example of creepy , in one message she actually said , " i see your car in the driveway , so if you could come over soon ..... " uuuugh , just pay me and be doooooone
evilgEEk said:
Sorry that is your job! your job to send it back to the client and say you can't work with this copy or give them a cost for proofing/editing it.
If you have any pride in your work you would do everything in your power to ensure that the final printed or published work is correct as this reflects on you, who would go to a designer that lets work go to print with errors just because "its not my job"
7on said:I hate clients. Especially people who think things are too offensive. A vector skull on a Death Penalty Awareness poster? Well, not exactly roses but death in context. Sigh... back to work...
You hate clients? Change jobs.
Best way to handle this is to double (or maybe triple) your rates. Either she'll think it's to much and leave you alone or she'll actually pay you and the experience won't be as bad because you'll be making more money.
I've had clients that want stuff done a specific way (to a point where they're the designer and I'm just putting stuff together) and I've had clients that don't want anything to do with the design and are happy with anything. I try to distance myself from these clients because the end results are usually lacking.
One recent client I had had about 35 revisions to his site template, each one looking closer and closer to his competitions site. The project was scheduled to take 3 weeks and it took 6 months.
When I have days or Clients like that I often go to:
http://www.clientcopia.com/
The site has a lot of people going through the same thing. Mostly IT people but also graphicholics as-well
http://www.clientcopia.com/
The site has a lot of people going through the same thing. Mostly IT people but also graphicholics as-well