Stupid Stupid Clients

[fester8542]

So I have been talking with this graphic design company for quite a few months about subcontracting their web work through them because they dont want to hire a full time web developer.

So finally a hot lead comes through for this small shop in Boston that sells flowers and crap.

The job sounded super simple and I threw my quote and they bit.

Now that I am half way through the job and speaking with the owner of the shop they had intended on a complete shopping cart system, with ssl security for credit card tranactions.

The graphic design company didnt convey this to me because they are so web illiterate they asked for something completely different.

I dont know weither to throw the job back in thier face or finish it for what I originally quoted.

Because I am subcontracting I cant negotiate price with the end client.

This day is just getting worse and worse. There was a light friggin dusting of snow this morning. I guess it was national wreck your car on the way to work day. I missed tat memo. It took me literally four hours to travel a commute that takes 20 mins with normal traffic.

ARRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!

[Digitalosophy]

sounds like every1's having a ****ty day, sry fester

[Laslett]

theres a contract involved. Well if the contract you signed with the web agency didn't state anything about online shop then deliver what you thought. If they didn't give you the spec upon which to base our price then as I said deliver what you agreed with them. It then up to them to either re-negociate with the end client. Somwhere along the line theres been a big communication breakdown

[fester8542]

Big communication gap

There was no signed contract. Just verbal consent.

[reverendflash]

Originally posted by fester8542
Big communication gap

There was no signed contract. Just verbal consent.

http://www.disc.com/images/winner.jpg

we have a winner!

always, always, always, get a contract that specifies the scope of the project...

also, build in a NDA into it... it will save your bacon a hundred times...

Revhttp://aulman.com/rev.gif

[BigSilly]

NDA?

[McGiver]

lol. Seems like you're having a really good day :/

[reverendflash]

Originally posted by BigSilly
NDA?

non-disclosure-agreement

Revhttp://aulman.com/rev.gif

[Digigamer]

hmm I have a question. What if you meet a client over the information super highway and have never met? How would you sign the contract? Fax it?


Also could you elaborate more on that non-disclosure agreement?

[reverendflash]

believe it or not, the USPS works just fine.

and there are tons of NDA's out there, just do a google search.

Revhttp://aulman.com/rev.gif

[Digigamer]

USPS? I've never heard of it. Or do you mean UPS?

[mjULTRA]

United States Postal Service

[norie]

:trout: dig

[Digigamer]

well nobody ever calls it USPS they always say the mail or on the internet they call it "snail mail" never USPS!

[r3v0lut1on]

I have seen it mentioned as 'USPS' many times. :beam:

[Booyaka]

:trout: i'm with digi
i have never heard or seen the term USPS for the united States Postal service EVER! :trout:

[norie]

Originally posted by Booyaka
:trout: i'm with digi
i have never heard or seen the term USPS for the united States Postal service EVER! :trout:
:trout:

[paradox244]

USPS is all over the place, like in every post office, on the mail trucks, and on the internet like for instance http://www.usps.gov

[Digigamer]

sorry, the post office's web page is not one I visit on a regular basis :-/

[Kitiara]

I'm having a terrible time too Fester, you have my sympathies. :hangover:

The site redesign I'm doing at the moment has about 100 'general information' pages in pop ups that every other page links to. I argued against the use of pop ups. Truly I did. I explained how irritating they are for users, how pop up killers will block them, that they're more awkward to code. Everything. I got overruled and we went for pop ups.

Now I've built 300 odd pages and the site has moved into the test environment, the main manager who made the decision in the first place has changed her mind. Pop ups are too cluttered, we'd best make them all in the same window.

Needless to say, I've now got to alter 300-ish pages by Friday morning.

I hate this. I really, really hate it. If my performance review wasn't being done this week, I'd throttle the head of eCommerce... :a:

[RelandR]

sheezus... kit I sure hope yer on salery or hourly and not locked-in for the finished package ...

sucks nonetheless but ...300 pgs., sheeZus :!:

[Kitiara]

Yeah, since I'm full time I get a set amount per year. Nowhere near enough though, imho. :-\

If I charged by the hour or they had outsourced this to a company, it would cost in the region of 50-60K. I'm doing it on my own for... Well, a lot less than that. :sigh:

I can make objections about the constant mind-changing, but I don't really get listened to. I said two months ago that pop ups were a bad idea...

[Phat7]

Don't worry Kit, at least you will be a smarter Main Manager ;)

[Laslett]

Originally posted by Kitiara
Yeah, since I'm full time I get a set amount per year. Nowhere near enough though, imho. :-\

If I charged by the hour or they had outsourced this to a company, it would cost in the region of 50-60K. I'm doing it on my own for... Well, a lot less than that. :sigh:

I can make objections about the constant mind-changing, but I don't really get listened to. I said two months ago that pop ups were a bad idea...

Yep but thats life. Same here SAP and e interfaces If I was contracted then Its 60K + so they save a packet. But on the flip side I basically make up my own job as no-one can challenge me and my reasoning

[Laslett]

pop ups are ok if used properly. They've become the new Framesets. If used properly they can be ok too

[SureShot]

Fester, that's crap dude. I am sorry to hear that man. Rev is right - I mean it sounds like this is your first time doing a doing a sub-contract thing with a legit design company so you wouldnt have known. I was the same way when I started doing my own thing. I saw the money, verbally agreed and that was it. Just this last 6 months I was screwed out of 3grand for a job I did - no contract - no way of me getting paid. That simple.

Always make sure you sit down with the client (or contractor) and talk about what the site will entale. Write up a draft of what they want, attach a price to it, add a NDA to it as Rev said, and if it's just a quote - always put the words "draft" on the main page of the document. This gives you wiggle room if the price needs to go up (or down, but I doubt that will ever happen ;) ) and you arent locked into anything.


Hope today was better for you man!