Yes, I’m aware of the date. No, this post is not a joke. In fact, it’s as serious as they come.
I couldn’t resist doing a post about “fools” on April Fool’s Day. After all, there are so many ways clients can make fools out of us freelance bloggers.
Sometimes we play the fool when a client refuses to pay. Other times, we’ll be made a fool when a client keeps piling on work that we didn’t sign on for. Or maybe, you’re that sad fool whose had the misfortune of working for an abusive client? Ah, yes… the saddest fool of all, perhaps.
Well, it’s time to take a cue from Cinderella and become “Nobody’s Fool.” (Feel free to play that song in the background while you read this to get in the proper mindset).
The Client Who Makes You a Fool by Not Paying
This is one of the most common ways a client can make a fool out of a freelance blogger. It happens, on occasion, to even the best, most established freelance bloggers. It’s nothing to be ashamed of… but it is irritating as all get out.
The first step is not to panic, or let rage consume you. You absolutely must stay calm.
From there, try resending your invoice, with a little reminder that it’s past due.
Still no response? Then it’s time to send your client a carefully-worded e-mail about the situation.
Try something like:
Hey, [Client]!
I just wanted to check in and make sure everything’s okay. Last I heard, you were pleased with the final draft I sent in, and needed no changes.
As it states in our contract, I’m supposed to receive my payment after the final draft has been turned in. I’ve already sent you an invoice, but I have yet to receive payment.
If there’s an issue, please let me know. If your budget is strained, we can work out a payment plan. Or, if you simply need a few more days, please inform me of when you will be paying me so I can make adjustments accordingly.
Thank you.
–[Your name]
This does three things:
- It reminds the client that you turned in your work on time and they were pleased. (Pay up!)
- It reminds them that they have a legal contract to abide. (Pay up!)
- It shows that you’re willing to work with them, and their budget, but you’re not going to let the issue go. (Pay up!)
Usually, an e-mail like this does the trick. I’d say a good 90 percent of the time, you won’t have to take any further actions.
However, if your client is among the 10 percent of the population that’s just a total buttmunch and they STILL refuse to pay you, you’ll have to send them another e-mail warning them that you’re going to start charging a late fee (2 percent is the standard) for each day that goes by where you still don’t have your money.
If friendly e-mail reminders and threats of late fees still don’t scare them into paying up, then you’re going to have to get gnarly.
Let the client know that if they refuse to pay up, you’re going to take to social media and put them on blast – letting all the other freelance bloggers in your network, along with any potential customers they have, know that they’re going against their contract and refusing to pay you.
Don’t swear or be unprofessional. Simply let them know that you’re going to call them out on their actions publicly. Then, if they still refuse to comply: Do so.
Again, remain professional. Take to social media and share the FACTS of the situation (not your feelings). Let everyone know that [insert client/company name here] refused to pay you for your work. Don’t call them names, don’t use crass adjectives – just report the facts. They’re in the wrong, and you have nothing to feel ashamed of. Just be professional and warn others to stay away.
The ONE time I had to do this, the client paid up mere hours later, begging for me to take down the post I’d made. I didn’t take the post down, as I knew I wasn’t the only writer in their stable whom they’d refused to pay; however, I did make a follow-up post to let the public know that they’d come through.
If none of that works, then, sadly, you’ll likely just have to eat the cost and move on with your life – vowing not to be anyone’s fool the next time around.
Small claims court generally isn’t a great idea for freelance bloggers. Unless the client owes you thousands of dollars (and I’m talking $15,000 or more here!), then the cost of lawyers and other lawsuit charges will end up wasting more money than you stand to gain.
The Client Who Makes You a Fool with Too Much Work
When a client has “one more thing” to add to your pile of work, it’s generally not a problem. However, when a client “one more thing”s you to DEATH, that’s called “scope creep,” and it’s a huge issue.
In this case, the best offense is a good defense. You (hopefully) have a contract that outlines exactly what you’re supposed to be doing: Stick to it.
If a client asks you to do anything outside of your contract, refer them back to the contract terms.
If, however, you make the mistake of doing “one more thing” and one more things becomes MANY more things, and your workload gets out of control, then it’s time to write your client an e-mail reminder of the contract terms.
Let them know that you don’t mind doing the occasional favor, but if extra work is going to be an ongoing thing, then you’re going to need to renegotiate your contract – and ask for more money.
Or, if what they’re asking for is ridiculous, and you know you can’t successfully complete everything (even with more money), then let them know. Be firm and tell them your limits.
The Client Who Makes You a Fool by Abusing You
Does your client constantly call you names? Swear at you? Demean you and your work?
Leave.
It’s really that simple. I’m sorry if you expected more.
First of all: YOU aren’t the fool – they are. Always keep that in mind.
If a client is acting unprofessionally and abusing you, you do NOT have to put up with them. You’re a freelancer. You’re your own boss. There will be plenty of other clients to take their place.
Keep your cool, and remain professional. Let the client know that you do not appreciate how they’ve been treating you, and that you will no longer be working for them after they pay you for your most recent work. Bam! That’s it.
Get yourself out of the abusive relationship, and find work elsewhere.
There will always be jobs for freelance bloggers. Nearly every company in America, and most companies in the Western world in general, has a blog on their website now. And they NEED writers like you are to work with them.
That’s one of the greatest things about freelance blogging: There are so many clients to choose from! There’s no reason for you to become ANYONE’s fool.
So, what do you think? Did I miss any “fool”-making situations when I wrote this that should have been covered? Let me know in the comments!
I love this post, Lauren! As usual, it is full of actionable tips that every blogger can use, no matter how far along in their freelancing career they are currently in. There’s a lady named Julie at Just Tell Julie that can help with the first category if nothing else works. She calls the people who owe freelancers money and gets them to pay over the phone for a fee.
Glad you enjoyed the post, Lisa! 😀 And thanks for the tip about Just Tell Julie! I’d never heard of her before, but she sounds like a handy gal to have around haha.
Good post, all of these are serious issues for freelance writers.
One thing I would say is that in my experience, even clients with whom you have a strong ongoing relationship will sometimes fail to pay on time. For that reason, I usually approach them with a more informal, friendly email first, and then revert to more formal tactics if that doesn’t work.
Unfortunately, your point about small claims court is definitely true. I’ve lost a couple of thousand pounds in the past year to clients who refused to pay up. I must confess I haven’t used the social shaming tactic you mentioned – I work exclusively in one industry, and I’d be concerned that the approach could backfire and hurt my chances of acquiring further clients in the future.
On the scope creep point, I agree completely. In my experience, the best route is to get yourself on retainer if at all possible, as you’re then able to charge for any additional work. If that isn’t possible, and the client continues to push the boundaries of your projects, it’s time to have a frank conversation about how your quoting process works, and what constitutes a significant scope change.
All great comments, Pete! Thanks for you input! 🙂
Lauren, I loved this post! I had an experience where my client kept telling me to write one way and then after I did, replying to my email with what I SHOULD have written. Her replies were usually LONGER than the content I emailed her for review. It happened for page after page for her website.
Finally, my husband told me to FIRE HER. I was shocked! He told me the stress the situation was causing was not worth my health (and I think I was pregnant or had just had a baby). I thought about it for a couple of days.
I sent her an email (and cc’d the owner of the marketing agency I was working for and for whom she was a client) and laid it out plain as day. I asked how SHE would feel if I walked into a photo shoot session and told her how to set up the lighting, which f-stops on the camera to use, and how to arrange everyone in the shoot. I told her if I was going to her for a photo shoot, I was going to her as the EXPERT in her field.
I then stated how she had come to me for MY expertise in writing website content. I told her I had the experience, knowledge, and other clients to prove I knew what I was doing. I told her I would no longer be told how to write by someone who was not a professional in my field.
She did not reply. Neither did the marketing agency (which was a bummer as I was working for them a lot). I found out later she was apparently best buddies with the marketing agency owner. I was not paid for all of the work which I did as she kept changing it and not accepting it as complete.
Most of my clients have been a pleasure to work with and do pay on time.
Thanks for the reminder I am my own boss and have the right to not be abused by a client. I also, as my own boss, have the right to choose my clients.
~Adrienne
So glad you enjoyed the post, Adrienne! 🙂
Your post is both terrifying and very helpful, Lauren. I actually am in this exact situation right about now. I was stupid enough to trust a relative stranger on a verbal agreement based on refferals and reputation and got fleeced for thousands of words worth of work, supposedly paid at a $0.12 a word. Unfortunately, I don’t have any legal way to strike back and have nowhere near the kind of social media network to actually scare him into paying me. I could have literally spent my days at the beach and my nights partying like my life depended on it and be more productive.
Nice, witty and assertive piece of writing by the way, I really enjoyed it.
As much as I’m glad you enjoyed my post (thank you!), I’m so sorry you’re having to go through all that nonsense. I hope everything works out for you in the end! :O I recently had a client who dismissed me because he no longer needed my services (no two weeks notice or anything, just — pbbtttt! goodbye!) and he owed me hundreds of dollars from the work I’d already done for him. It took a couple weeks of nudging/nagging, but he eventually paid up. But dang!! Nothing like suddenly getting “laid off” from a gig that you were TOLD was going to be long-term and ALSO have them not pay the money you’re owed. So nerve-wracking!!! Especially when your bills come and you’re like “Um…well…I was SUPPOSED to have the money to pay these, but, uhhhhhhhhhh…” Yeesh. Clients, huh?! Can’t live with ’em; can’t live without ’em. I guess the best advice I can give you is to just keep trying. Be annoying, yet professional. Eventually they may pay up just because they’re so sick of hearing from you! GOOD LUCK!!! <3
Haha, I will most definitely try that. I’m quite good at being annoying.
Sadly, I think the best results I could get is bullying him into changing his e-mail adress and phone number, which I would consider a small victory 🙂
Thank you for the good words though, it’s comforting to know that fellow writers experienced the same kind of misfortune and made it through.
And don’t feel too bad for me, I’m the resilient type. I’ll get over it by spending two days in the foetal position, then angrily throwing furniture and kitchen appliances against the walls to make the whole thing even more costly (it’s what resilience is, right? Or did I misunderstand the concept?).
And I’m sure you have your own issues to deal with.
I just hope my creditors have a better grasp of what resilience and patience actually mean than I do 😉
All the best.
One of the most practical posts I’ve read so far. I have a few stories to share. But I don’t have the time at this moment. I just stopped by to appreciate your great work.
Many thanks,
Sadaf
Glad you enjoyed it, Sadaf! And I’m happy you took the time to comment. 🙂