Just hating working on requests...
 

Don't you just hate if...

Your working on a request and they say
"blah blah PM for more details"
and after chatting with them either by IM or PM for a hour they say
"I can't give out admincp or FTP login details sorry"
Yet you NEED it to either do or solve whatever

or

They give you a project to do and they require you to do this and this and this to prove to them you can do it... or to do the whole project and take screen shots or something. Even working with it on their site, and then he has found another person to do it thats already completed or is better.

or

They really suck at english and there is a misunderstanding somewhere and they refuse to pay anything and you've wasted all your time

Could it get any worse? :(

*NEW
Just got worse..

Graphic Design or can be a skin
"I don't know the sizes and everything just create something using your imgination"
Then after if they didn't like it, asks you to make more new ones.

Yeah man, that really sucks. I can't tell you how many times thats happened to me. If you want to get something working or fixed, why are you not willing to give us admincp/ftp details so we can help? It makes no sense. We can't help you if we can't see what the problem is. We can't add or customize features if we don't do it directly on your site, and most of the time, we can't exactly TELL you how to do the things we do. ESPECIALLY if your site has already been modified a great deal, it makes things a little harder.

I guess this might be why I don't get a whole lot of projects from here...but I do get some...and the ones I get are usually pretty decent...

-If it's over $50...i require down payment (usually 25-50% depending on total price)
-If I can't understand you...I'm not working for you
-I mention the ACP and FTP usually in the beginning of the convo whether I need it or not...if they say no...i go on my way
-I take paypal...nothing else...if they don't have paypal...i go on my way
-If it's over $500 we sign a contract...no contract...i go on my way
-before i start, i list EXACTLY what i'm going to do according to them...and they will then reply that that is correct...then I start...so if they say i did something wrong...i can simply refer them back to that message...
-and probably most importantly...if they want me to do the work on THEIR site...then they PAY IN FULL before I start (or we agree on an escrow service...though i will charge a little more to cover my fee for this)

as I said...it makes it a little more difficult to get clients from here...but the ones i do get are quality clients and fun to work with

Just got worse..

Graphic Design or can be a skin
"I don't know the sizes and everything just create something using your imgination"
Then after if they didn't like it, asks you to make more new ones.

That is why I never use messenger... I lose so many clients this way but e-mail is the only way I do anything. It makes things quick and it leaves a record for you to go back too...

I don't even have a messenger installed anymore...

I don't know how many times I hear this. They want a custom skin, yet they have no idea what they want it to look like...

You need to be more patient with clients.Most of them are complete retards but oh well there it goes...at least it's worth the money

I doubt that calling your client base "retards" on a public forum that they all read is very good business practice.

LOL

I was trying not to mention any names :p

I myself force all my future clients to read my own protocol:
http://nexialys.net/vbulletin/rules.php

it can be anything you have in mind... but remember that you talk to "retards" AND "Microsoft owners"... lol... they can be anybody with a lot of cash or without a penny...

YEah I know but mostly it are richers who think they own the world and if we do not think the same way they do we are not good enough for them.God I hate those people.

/me updates first post to show a example

AH AH ....

/me is hilariously laughing here...

Ey Shazz no offense but those are really not worth 180 dollars.I would give you like 20$ or something.

I was thinking about making a thread about it explaining MY SIDE of the story.
I have every PM saved still saying how he wanted it to match the skin and thats why he gave me the PSD's
(obvious)

But who would want to read it? No one... :o

Ziki, please read the first post *Last paragraph. It relates to it
First was relating to the skin, then banners, but changed at least 2-4 times during the communication of PM

Yeha I did and?YOu have to deal with that if you want to be a designer.

I dunno, if I were to pay for a graphic, I think the best way to do it is though a site like sitepoint, where you can judge and give feedback on the images/skin you want, as people compete for the job. Many times graphics just go unused but if they aren't happy with the end product, how can you hold that against them for not wanting to pay for it.

Its like ordering a custom car only to find out it has no engine - you'd send it back until you got the engine :)

that's who i became rich as a designer.. LOL

btw, about SitePoint, forget it... this is the worst place for artists... everybody can steal your ideas and talent...

Watermark any images you put on public domain.....

Yea and??? It wasen't just for those 3... If you would like to read every PM conversation let me know.

I have three policies that seem to be working well so far:
1) %50 up front
2) I only do hacks
3) I must be able to release the hack on the org when done (though I will hold it for up to a month)

This way, at a minimum I get %50 of the money and a hack I can release.

Does anyone else have user term agreements? I saw nexialys posted one

you seriously think that hackers will care about your watermarks ?!... any good designer can redraw a complete logo recolorize it, and this in 5 minutes... watermarks are for photos.. when they are properly applied... not logos or templates...

Well the fact that anyone can redraw a logo goes with out saying. That can happen anyway, but if you see that company using your logo that you designed for that company and they did not pay YOU for it, that is copyright infringement. If someone wants to use that design for another site - well, it would happen regardless if you used sitepoint, or any other service, including just outright selling the design. Just go to google and type logo.gif or jpg and have your fill of designs to steal if you are into that kind of thing.

I've worked behind Shazz before. One of my regular clients needed something, I was out of town, so they turned to Shazz. I had to redo it. This isn't the first time I've heard clients have problems with you.

Please don't post here saying that with no original request thread.

And this thread isen't just about me, if you read CLEARLY its to everyone that has problems like this

I wouldn't say everyone.

I've done work for tons of people here and have never had an issue outside of one problem where I guy didn't pay me...he was my second client I think.

The problem most of you have is you'll take any job, sometimes you have to know when to show a client the door. I do this often if I feel I do not have the skill to finish their project in an acceptable time frame or if I'm busy with other jobs. I also don't respond to every service request that comes down the line as I am very selective about the type of people I will do business with.

Learn how to read your customer and you'll find the problems go away really quickly.

Thanx brad,
I like what you had to say :)

Im done here now
[high]* Shazz leaves[/high]

Yeah, I've been working since January of 06, haven't had a single problem yet. Sometimes you just have to put your foot down and say "No, that is unacceptable."

If you read well, i'm not having a single problem like this... i have a chart, i follow it, i follow my protocol and in the last 13 years working on the internet, i never had a "wrong" contract with anybody...

i just find your situation funny because it looks like a newbie's frustration...

When people hire you they don't hire your for no reason.They want YOU to design something interesting for them.Not everybody has the sense of beauty.I never tell a designer what style I want.I just tell "I want something related to coding." and he does it.That's what I meant.

... the main thing is that YOU answered Services Requests, like you've done a another project yesterday evening... the guy reported it to his request because he think you will do a great job... don't tell us afterward that this client is a crap...

This is my point

well i have done many projects for people and mostly without upfront payment, Ofcourse that also means not doing every project that comes along. You can know what type the person by the way he posts or writes his requirements. And better still over a period of time the old regulars come to you or refer people so it works pretty well.
At the end of the day you have to show a bit of trust in him.
About people not listing requirements, sometimes(not always though) its also cos they don't want to divulge the project to everyone esp the rival board owners.

Keep it civil in here please, a bunch of posts have already had to be removed and members warned.

yeah, i find stupid that some other people here are PMing people who hired Shazz...
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=143069 ... can we please kick the moron who have contacted that client ?!

Nexialys,

If that client has a problem with someone contacing him, then he can contact a staff member. It is of no use that you repost such information here.