New Webmistress needs advice on customer linkback 3

[moirakris]

I am a newbie Webmistress, ie done gads of personal sites for my own pleasure, donated a handful of sites to good causes and charged for exactly 1 site so far.

The paid site was a 45 page monster that took quite a considerable amount of work (I code by hand) and about a month to complete. It would have went faster but this particular customer was quite demanding. Now I believe in the adage that the customer should get what he wants but every 2 days he would call me up and change his mind on how he wanted something done or layout changes or a new graphic made etc. you get the picture.

I took it all in stride and even cut the price of the custom graphics by 50% and gave him a 10% discount if he would allow a text only hyperlink at the bottom of his website to my business site.

After a month and a half I finally had to tell him that his site was complete according to his original quote and contract. I sent him a cd of his website files and a final invoice. I informed him that if he needed anything else changed it would be charged as an update.

Needless to say he paid his last payment and exactly one week later he removed the hyperlink back to my design site.

My question is this...Did I do something wrong in dealing with this customer? I am unpleased he removed the link... but he paid the balance and the site is his to do with what he will so to speak.

Advice please and thank you in advance!
Moira

 

[RISTMO]

My opinion is if it was in writing that the link back to you business site was part of the "pay", then he must put it back. The link is part of the balance, so if he takes it out, the site is not rightfully his. If it's not in writing, then any customer, especially one like that, could do as he pleased and get away with it. Some people are just tricky to deal with and are never satisfied.

That's my opinion.

Rick

 

[Wullie]

Hi,

Send him a friendly note saying that removal of the link is a chargable service, if the link is not added again within 14 days or so then he will be invoiced for the service.

If you have an e-mail where he agreed to the placement of the link, then tell them that this e-mail can be considered a legally binding document.

If he refuses to pay, then send him a headed letter informing him that if the account is not settled in full within 14 days, then you will pass his information to a credit reference agency.

This all sounds a bit harse, but has worked for me in the past.

In future, use a contract that contains a clause that all work carried out will include a discrete link to your site. Also mention that an additional payment may be requested if the customer want's to opt out of this clause.

Also, in the actual source code, add html comments around the information stating that that section of the page with the link is copyright your company, it must not be removed or altered in any way without prior written consent from you.

Hope this helps Wullie

sales@freshlookdesign.co.uk

http://www.freshlookdesign.com

http://www.thomsonassociates.co.uk

The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails. - John Maxwell

 

[moirakris]

Thanks for your input.

I am revising the way that I word my quote and contracts now. I am also thinking that I may change the whole thing around from a 5% discount to a rebate type thing.

After one year if they keep my link on their site they will get a 5% rebate of their original bill. I would put the $$ in escrow until then. I may be able to easily check their hyperlinks are still up by utilizing a cgi program that organizes reciprocal links...have to check into that a bit more. Anyways thank you again for assisting.

Moira

 

[MoonHare]

Dear Moira,
Is there some reason that after he paid you, you didn't expect him to ever come back? Maybe he took out your link by accident? Have you asked him? Before I tried the draconian measures suggested by Wullie (no doubt a tough buisness man!!) I would try asking the guy what happened to the link and offer to fix the page to show your link again... unless of course you and he had a bad enough relationship that there is no question of the whys and where-for's. Maybe if there is bad feeling, having a link on his page might actually be a bad thing for you? (Might just perpetuate a certain level of negativity) Will confronting him in the tough mode get you more customers or will it just turn some petty problem into a war? Sometimes it is better not to burn the bridge.
Yrs,
The Moonhare

 

[moirakris]

He was quite upset when I finally had to tell him that I couldn't keep calling me every 2 days and on weekends at home to change something I fixed two days earlier. I completed the site according to the contract and finally said enough was enough...the site was done if he wanted changes they would be charged as an update. He hung up on me LOL.

This was an ongoing thing for well over a month. He is the type of person who gets all they can and when the well is dry moves on to someone else I suppose. So actually I am just going to let it be, I won't attempt to contact him about the link but I was trying to get ideas on how to handle it again if the situation came up.

Moira

 

[cian]

Hi, few comments.

I agree with Ristmo and Wullie. If the link to your site was part of the payment then it must be put back on the site. BUT you have to have agreed this before hand! IMO.

It sounds like you learned an important lesson. In future you need to spell out every stage of the building process so everything is clear. If possible you should/could tell a client that the site will be done in stages. After each stage the customer must feedback on changes/mods which he requires. If he doesnt feedback within a limited timeframe you continue to the next stage. Having to go back and correct something already agreed on could incur an extra charge. When the site is finalised you could again give the client some time to review and make changes before you both agree the design is fixed.
You should also agree contact times, 10-4 Mon-Fri ??

As for the financial side, everything concerning cost and deliveries should be agreed in full up front. And in writing!
I think you made one big mistake "I sent him a cd of his website files". Personally I wouldn't give him the steam off my piss until he paid for it. it would be easy for someone to walk away and give you nothing.
Of course, there are some people you trust and wouldn't need to worry about!

For getting your link back on, send him a polite email stating that a "mistake" has been made and the link has been removed. Ask politely for it to be put back, reminding him that you have agreed that leaving the link is part of the payment, and if he wants the link removed permantly he will have to pay the balance. A couple of hundred quid should do it!

I have to deal with customers everyday (different business) and have learned you need to be very careful how you handle things. Telling your client "enough was enough" was a mistake in my opinion. You need to keep it calm and appear as flexible as possible and willing to accomodate his wishes. Then later send him a polite email explaining the way things need to work and that making continual changes will incur an extra charge. You need to have a clear action plan for how the site will develop and make the client aware of this process.

Did that help anything?
And definitly contact him about the link, don't let him get away with it!
U have a contract?? U SHOULD.


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http://www.endamcg.com

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http://www.endamcg.com/finland-gaa

 

[moirakris]

Thanks Cian,
I will put your suggestions to good use! Thanks for all the help on this. I will email and see if we can resolve it and in the future you can bet I will be more clear.

I especially like the idea of using stages and timeframes..much more efficient than the way I was doing it.

Those who stop learning, stop living.
Moira