eh, rant..

[stagnate]

Hi Guys,

So I finished University about 5 months ago and got a job shortly after (about a month) It’s a good job and I’m enjoying coming in each day. I’m the only graphic/web designer here so issues regarding mistakes all come back to me, which is fine it teaches me to be more careful.

What I have noticed is how clients capitalize on small mistakes to get large amounts of work done for free. For example (I wont post it so you will have to take me word for it) I just got an email 4 pages long with changes. The message was to the effect of "your lack of editing skills..." it got worse but you get the idea.

The fact is that the only information I have had for the website is copy the client has sent me, copy and paste kind of deal. Out of the four pages there was only two small typos were my own, which I accept. I put nearly all the information I was given into word before uploading to check for obvious errors but was hardly going to start re-arranging paragraphs.

Now the client is not going to pay a cent for these 4 pages of changes that range from adding a paragraph here and there to re-arranging sentences to common punctuation, and replacing images:... all because I miss-spelt a couple of small words. Considering the mistakes I made will take about 1 min to change and the rest will take about 1day, someone, somewhere, is getting a fairly nice deal.

This is the 2nd time in 4 months this has happened, anyone else have a similar experience? Maybe this is my "welcome to the industry".

[Riya]

They are taking advandage of you. By all means fix the mistakes that are yours for free, but the others should be charged for.

[budafist]

I tell clients that they need to proof read their copy before sending to me and all changes including copy changes will be on the clock. I think that's fair.

[furiouSPEED]

Usually there are amount of budget allocated specifically for promoting product. If your prospect clients didn't pay anything for your samples and its courier charge, just consider it as promotion at the expense of our stuff.

They are free to do the same to, let's say, 20 vendors for the samples free :D

[urstwile]

Stagnate, sounds like there's something seriously wrong with whatever contract your employer had with this client. There's no way you should have to eat the cost of making major revisions just because you made a couple of typos along the way. I agree with Riya, they're taking major advantage of you, and the firm you work for.

[captain spanky]

you're a designer... NOT a copywriter... NOT a proofreader.
Make it clear that any ADDITIONAL changes (not supplied with the brief) need to be paid for.
They are seriously ripping you off.
If someone started accusing me of things like that i'd kick off.

[furiouSPEED]

a designer and also a social volunteer.

[budafist]

Maybe if you give them the contact details of some local copywriters and/or proofreaders and let them know that you require all copy to be finalised before starting on design they will get the message?

[Sweet Tee]

It's amazing how little mistakes are blown up out of proportion! Some people I deal with everyday do things like this to the designers, and if they would have just proofread it in the first place (like they're supposed too) none of this would be happening! We are designers, not proofreaders!!!!

(There was my rant of the day, by the way!)
Sorry to hear that stagnate!

[LeftBrain Artist]

This is the 2nd time in 4 months this has happened, anyone else have a similar experience? Maybe this is my "welcome to the industry".

Yep. That there is whatcha call a problem client. Newbs often get stuck with them cuz nobody in the know wants to deal with them. I just recently got dumped by one of my problem clients - this guy would always always slice and dice elements from my estimates to jack down the price. Then he would add back in more edits and changes during the project so the final cost would almost always exceed my initial estimates. And he would get pissed off and try to weasel his way out of paying by pointing out minor, insignificant, easily fixed errors - mistakes I usually don't make unless I'm rushed for time because the budget is so tight and the crumbhole camps out on layouts and returns them marked up at the last possible minute - and now its my problem to get this thing out the door in a day when he's been sitting on it for two weeks.

We did a fair amount of work with him last year - but every substantial job was a headache riddled with problems. He recently tried pinning the blame on us for a print job he coordinated (we supplied files) that got screwed up - wanted us to pay for half of the reprint cost. And he owes us a few thousand for other projects to boot. My boss met with him regarding that and got walked to the door and was told to never return when he refused to pay for the clients mistake. I told him he should be glad - we're never going to make any money off that joker no matter what we do.

You see, Stagnate, the underlying cause of this whole scenario, and yours as well possibly - is hubris. These people can do no wrong (in their eyes) - and when they do screw up, they have to either admit a mistake, pay the consequences and take action to correct it - or they can blame it on someone else. Without fail they choose the latter - and usually flit from vendor to vendor leaving a sour taste in everyone's mouth as they search for the ideal partner that is flawless, lightning fast, and dirt cheap.

These people are small, simple creatures that are to be pitied, for they will go through their entire lives always wanting and wondering why everyone else is a problem.

[furiouSPEED]

Yeah...I doubt that these people actually need our job, they could also do that thing to any others only to collect the samples for free. I offered smallest trial order which not much people would do it as it need a lot of works and there won't be profit from it. It was only to make sure that they are seriously keen on our job and products.

There is nothing useless against each effort, you will find an unexpected rewards like finding another loyal customers thereafter, person which is nice to be partnering with. I believe karma;)

[CtrlAltDel]

Always get the client to sign off on each stage/proof/final where appropriate.
Saves much time/aggravation later.