[Pic from surfersvillage.com]No, this is not a surfing post. This is a Wednesday Work Whinge. It's an excellent day of the week for whingeing, and not just because it begins with a 'w'. The energy and motivation (ha - who am I kidding?) of the beginning of the week are beginning to wear off; the annoyances are starting to pile up; and the weekend still looks a long, long way away.
More specifically, this week I am struggling with clients who demand ridiculous turnaround times ('I need a 20-page brochure - can you get me a draft tomorrow?'. 'Um, NO.') but then mysteriously are not in the office or don't bother to read your email when you send the job in. Really, it was so urgent but now you don't need to look at it?
I have two ways of dealing with this. 1. I charge a 50% urgency loading for a 24-hour turnaround. And then I usually add a little bit more, just in case I need a new lipstick. 2. When a particular client pulls this stunt more than once, I push back their jobs and tell them I can't start for at least a few days. Most of them learn eventually.
For the nice ones, who say 'I know this is ridiculous, but if you could squeeze this in today and charge what you want and we love you', I drop everything and do the job.
There is a moral in here somewhere. Maybe it's just 'Say please and thank you'. (Especially on Wednesdays.)
5 comments:
I get the student version of these clients -- students who e-mail me insisting I get back to them asap about when they can meet with me -- but then fail to respond when I offer options.
I'm doing my best to train them for you, but rude narcissism seems hard to cure. . .
Make it 3 lippies next time!!
Mater, I hear you on the student front - I used to get the same thing when I was teaching at university. 'Rude narcissism' is a perfect way of expressing it.
MDS, I think you're absolutely right - I'm working on a 3-lippie project today, so next time I'm in the city, I'm going to go spend some dosh at the Chanel counter :)
We have a saying around our office: Lack of planning on your part does not constitute and emergency on mine.
They're clients, so I really guess you can't school them on professional behavior, but Make 'em pay!
;-)
Pseu, that saying is perfect! I will use it to firm my resolve every time I get an unreasonable request ... This weekend I actually got a job at 7pm Saturday night with a request for Monday morning delivery!
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