aaarrrrrgggghhhhhhhhh!

[greyghost]

She's driving me CRAZY!

It's the same client, folks. The one who wants to jam the whole world into her little half-page ad, yet keep it classy and upscale. And frankly she then gets mad at me when the ad doesn't work for her, because nobody knows what to look at!
Now we are on our third proof, she disregarded my advice in four places.. she's one of those controlling types that initially asks for your advice, but in the end, she does whatever she initally wanted to do.

And then she gets upset at me for it.

She just faxed more changes, more additions....

What gets me is I was getting her ads to have more white space. Now she's changing her company name and is adding more crap to the ad! Why change the name? How is that going to help your business, which already does pretty well and has a recognizable name? Why make it look like you changed hands?

k. thanks. I feel better now.

/DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/blowingup.gif /DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/violent.gif /DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/frusty.gif

when it comes to certain clients, remind yourself:
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

I'm an ARTIST, not a MAGICIAN!

[GrfxGawd]

There comes a time when every client must go...

ALL generalizations are BAD.

[GrfxGawd]

Why do I seem to be giving people really tough advice all day today?

Man...

ALL generalizations are BAD.

[greyghost]

She's a nice person, really. Just a PITA. I sorta need to keep her on for now because I make okay money off of her, and with the move to another state and all, that's important.

And I have no problem with tough advice. I dole it out every once in a while too.

when it comes to certain clients, remind yourself:
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

I'm an ARTIST, not a MAGICIAN!

[Bear]

i think the winds of design they are a changin' GRFX, i'm feeling particularely viscous today, and it's not meant to be directed at anyone!

GreyGhost, i don't really know what to say, and this is your soapbox so i won't intrude. I have adopted the stance of not only getting my clients to sign an agreement, but a brief also (wireframes) for the content and intent of their piece. I write this up on the basis of initial meetings, and make them check it and agree to it prior to starting work. It expresses clearly than any deviations from what is required to feature, could equate to further charges. I guess this won't work for all situations, but it has so far.

C*** Designer

[greyghost]

This is one who runs about 5-14 ads a month in different publications. I create a new design every month, then resize it for each publication.

She has agreed to a contract (months ago) where she is charged for changes, but I don't think she cares. It's just constant tweaks and changes all the time - the basic ad design has stayed the same for 6 months now. But then some annoying sales rep comes in and makes a suggestion on her ads (I could soooo throttle them), and so she feels they must be right and wants to try what they suggested. MY suggestions... well, she asks for my advice, and she takes it the first proof. Then she decides there is too much white space (I feel there isn't enough) and adds more coupons, more bits of information, more pics... while going against everything we are taught to make ads work better!

ONE headline would suffice
Phone number should be bigger (she keeps shrinking it! It's at 14 point now!)
take off the designs, what else you can do, the other stuff you sell on the side, the extra extra directions....

when it comes to certain clients, remind yourself:
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

I'm an ARTIST, not a MAGICIAN!

[greyghost]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Some idiot gave her advice again!
aaaaauauuuuuuuggggghhhhhhhh!

AND - did I mention: she never checks her email. I have to call her to get her to check it. And she won't email changes back - she faxes them. And I'm almost out of fax ink. Given the nature of her ad, it's dark... so I can't read half the changes on a fax and have to call her for them.

when it comes to certain clients, remind yourself:
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

I'm an ARTIST, not a MAGICIAN!

[morea]

ugh. I feel for you greyghost.

We are one, our cause is one, and we must help each other if we are to succeed. ~ Frederick Douglass

[EC]

I think Morea said something somewhere earlier about 'energy vampires' or something like that?

Not to hijack your rant but ... I just turned down a job that a photographer colleague of mine brought to me. The client had hired her to do some photographs and requested that she get me to do the design for a print ad. I have worked with this woman before, and all I can say is HIGH MAINTENANCE. She has to have her hand in EVERYTHING and she'll tell you herself that they way she likes to work with graphic designers is to stand over their shoulders and 'bang it out together until it's done.' I know from experience this is LITERALLY how she works. And? She just bugs. It might be different if she weren't a condescending, demanding know-it-all and if her voice didn't grate on my every last pancaking nerve.

I did a design for her husband awhile back, nice, beautiful, I was so proud, he loved it. Then when he brought it home, she had her own ideas. Wants to do it herself of course, but doesn't want to 'learn the programs' ... no, she just wants a mouse-moving, button-pushing monkey is what she wants.

So I ended up saying, 'I don't think I am the right designer for you. I won't charge you for the time I've spent, but it sounds like you will be better off putting this together yourself, it will get quite expensive if I do this for you.' He agreed. He offered to pay me for my time spent but I said no worries. Why did I say that? TO GET RID OF THEM. OUT. BE GONE. GO AWAY.

Honestly? I knew I'd be paid squat and the revisions and changes would never end. EVER. NEVER END. I'd probably still be working on it what, two years later? lol I saw what was coming and decided to cut my losses.

So, even though this project is money and it landed right in my lap, I said, 'I am sorry but I'd like to pass.' I just know I would be annoyed to no end and it would suck all of my energy. Just the thought of working with her makes my mind race to the future, me wanting to stab myself in the ear with a sharp pencil so I wouldn't have to listen to her annoying stupid voice.

I don't know the point of my story but ... some PITA clients just aren't worth it, even if they have a bottomless pocketbook (which they usually don't, right? I mean, my photographer friend quoted her $50 per photo shoot, each in a different location. AND? THE CLIENT SCOFFED AT THIS. AAaarrrrgggghhhhhh!!!!!!!) I factored in my SANITY on this one. After reading your story, I am glad I did. lol

Hang tough. I hope you are being compensated very well, at least. ;)

Post Edited (EndeavorCreative) : 4/7/2005 11:01:59 PM GMT

[greyghost]

Oh, I've turned down some big ones.

There was one, it sounded sooo cool. But the more he talked about his ideas, I realized it would take forever, and never be what he wanted. We're talking gold foil, foldover and embossed business cards. All together. He wanted something that oozed money. So I quoted a high price, knowing what I was in for. Often that's my way of turning a job down. And I never heard from him again.

And I was glad too.

I'm not ready to tell her to get lost yet. But sometimes.... oh yeah.

when it comes to certain clients, remind yourself:
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

I'm an ARTIST, not a MAGICIAN!

[Ulysses]

You've got me wanting to scream at this woman with you ... 'Arghhhhhhhhhhh'!
Hope that is of some comfort to your disposition, greyghost.

[greyghost]

Thanks all.

Wonder of wonders: her computer locked up, so I had to fax new proofs to her.
Since it's a dark ad... well, it gets to the other end as a black square with some white text in it...

So whaddaya know - it's suddenly good to go if I say it's fine! lol.

when it comes to certain clients, remind yourself:
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

I'm an ARTIST, not a MAGICIAN!