Hey all,
I'm pretty new to this forum, but I have an issue with a client that has been really bugging me, and I would like to get your take on this.
I was hired by a new client at the beginning of this month to write/copyedit/salesify (is that a word?) their company web site copy, specifically with 20 web pages as deliverables. I requested half of the fee upfront, as I always do, and they paid it.
They send me a PDF with all of their web copy plus a site map of their new web site. My contact specifically tells me to concentrate on certain pages as the core of their content, which I do. However, the rest of the copy is BADLY in need of some copyediting, so in the interest of good customer service I go ahead and copyedit the whole thing. Not a LOT of work, but I probably spend a couple of hours on it. The deadline for the project is today.
They requested that I submit the copy piecemeal, in bites of a few pages at a time, which I did, as I completed it. I thought everything was going swimmingly. I was even ready to complete the project two days ahead of schedule.
Then on Tuesday, I get a short message from my contact saying that he has two more pages of content for me and he'll be sending it over tomorrow. Since I'm in the process of finishing up at the time, I kind of go, "huh?", shrug my shoulders and continue on.
The following afternoon, at maybe 3ish, I submit a completed first draft of all their copy (at least, so I think), outline the most efficient way to request any revisions they need (I always offer two rounds of revision free for 30 days), and send them an invoice for the balance.
An hour later, I get another short message saying 'here are the two more pages of content to do.' I take one look at them, and see that they aren't included in the site map, or have any provision for them on the web site itself. Therefore, I must conclude that this is an instance of "scope creep", added after the fact for whatever reason. They aren't included in our original agreement. I tell him as much, and make it clear that I would be happy to work on them for an additional fee.
He tells me that he told me about these two pages during a phone call. Unfortunately I don't recall this, and the fact that they are not mentioned in any written communication leads me to maintain my position that these pages fall outside the scope of the original contract, reiterating that I would be happy to do them--for an additional fee. I feel I have done a good job up to this point (although I have received no feedback whatsoever for any of the pieces that I sent along the way) and I want to provide quality service, but springing two more pages on me at the 11th hour, after two solid weeks of work??
This is complicated by the fact that I'm dealing with Indians, so their English is not bad, but it's not great either, which is why their previous copy needed so much help. This is an IT company with 200+ employees, so it's not a mom-and-pop shop.
So after all this diatribe, I ask, "What would you do?"
I'm pretty new to this forum, but I have an issue with a client that has been really bugging me, and I would like to get your take on this.
I was hired by a new client at the beginning of this month to write/copyedit/salesify (is that a word?) their company web site copy, specifically with 20 web pages as deliverables. I requested half of the fee upfront, as I always do, and they paid it.
They send me a PDF with all of their web copy plus a site map of their new web site. My contact specifically tells me to concentrate on certain pages as the core of their content, which I do. However, the rest of the copy is BADLY in need of some copyediting, so in the interest of good customer service I go ahead and copyedit the whole thing. Not a LOT of work, but I probably spend a couple of hours on it. The deadline for the project is today.
They requested that I submit the copy piecemeal, in bites of a few pages at a time, which I did, as I completed it. I thought everything was going swimmingly. I was even ready to complete the project two days ahead of schedule.
Then on Tuesday, I get a short message from my contact saying that he has two more pages of content for me and he'll be sending it over tomorrow. Since I'm in the process of finishing up at the time, I kind of go, "huh?", shrug my shoulders and continue on.
The following afternoon, at maybe 3ish, I submit a completed first draft of all their copy (at least, so I think), outline the most efficient way to request any revisions they need (I always offer two rounds of revision free for 30 days), and send them an invoice for the balance.
An hour later, I get another short message saying 'here are the two more pages of content to do.' I take one look at them, and see that they aren't included in the site map, or have any provision for them on the web site itself. Therefore, I must conclude that this is an instance of "scope creep", added after the fact for whatever reason. They aren't included in our original agreement. I tell him as much, and make it clear that I would be happy to work on them for an additional fee.
He tells me that he told me about these two pages during a phone call. Unfortunately I don't recall this, and the fact that they are not mentioned in any written communication leads me to maintain my position that these pages fall outside the scope of the original contract, reiterating that I would be happy to do them--for an additional fee. I feel I have done a good job up to this point (although I have received no feedback whatsoever for any of the pieces that I sent along the way) and I want to provide quality service, but springing two more pages on me at the 11th hour, after two solid weeks of work??
This is complicated by the fact that I'm dealing with Indians, so their English is not bad, but it's not great either, which is why their previous copy needed so much help. This is an IT company with 200+ employees, so it's not a mom-and-pop shop.
So after all this diatribe, I ask, "What would you do?"
