Handling Client Challenges
September 26, 2008 by Bridget Wright
Filed under Business
Guest Post By Lori Widmer
I had a client once who expected – no, demanded – that I be online and signed into Instant Messaging from 8 a.m. until she went home at 8 p.m. my time. If she had questions about what I’d written, she wanted me right there to answer them. My relationship with her ended about 3 seconds after that demand. She was challenging my ability to work my own hours, take my own time off, basically have a life.
It wasn’t the first time, either. I’d informed her a week ahead of time that I was taking time off for my kid’s high-school graduation, what with out-of-town guests and all. That she ignored my private time and talked to my answering machine – four times – during that time off and yes, during the party showed she didn’t respect my time off. The last straw was the IM demand.
How do you deal with client challenges to your professional boundaries? Do you know your own boundaries? We women sometimes tend toward pleasing people and losing ourselves in the process. It’s extremely important that we learn not only how to say no, but when to say no.
Also, we have to know when to stop defending our actions or answering direct challenges. I worked briefly for a man who left me hanging for a month and a half with no word other than, “Are you available next week?” and then suddenly picked up as though only a week had passed. When he began arranging a phone conference for the following week, I said, “I’m out of the office next week.” His response: “What? Again? Didn’t you just have a vacation?”
How would you respond to a direct challenge like that? If you said you’d explain that yes, you were going on vacation but that you would be back on X or Y day, you’ve just mishandled the situation. Instead, you should answer like I did: “Is there something pressing that I can try to handle this week for you?” Don’t address his question – it’s really none of his business. Address the issue – he has work that needs doing.
What you do when you are out of the office – and, in fact, when you’re in the office – is your business. No client should ever treat you like an employee or question your whereabouts unless he/she is willing to put you on the payroll and start paying your benefits. You are an independent contractor. Any client who can’t understand that or respect your independent status is not worth keeping.
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Lori is a veteran writer and editor with over 15 years of experience. Her main concentrations have been in the insurance and risk management industries, but she’s well versed in trade and consumer writing. Lori’s Blog
Lori – this post is so excellent. I currently have a client who needs me to tell her 50 times a day how wonderful she is. I think what bothers me the most is that she doesn’t even listen when I give her positive feedback…it’s all about her, and I’m about to toss her out the door.
Still, as a the sole bread winner for my family, I find that somethings have to be swallowed so that my family can eat. Like everything, it’s a balance game! Thanks for writing this post!
Julie
You’re welcome, Julie! And thanks, Bridget, for inviting me to post!
I’m sort of the sole bread winner here, too. We work on separate finances, so all I make pays half the bills and all my kid’s expenses at college. No ex-husband help, either.
If she sucks up a ton of your time, dump her. If she’s simply annoying, that’s workable. You know your own threshold!
I have it in the contract that I do not IM and that the phone is off when I’m working. I check for messages twice a day. I am not available at will on the phone. Email is always the best way to reach me.
I do not explain myself to clients as to why I am not available or out of town. “I”m booked” is my response, and if they want to know with what, I respond, “That does not concern you.”
I’ve learned — the hard way — to put most of these types of aggravations into the contract and then point out they signed off on it if they get huffy.
Usually, they don’t pay enough to make the aggravation worth it. The clients who pay the best are usually the most respectful of your freelance life.
Honestly? Any client who would fuss that much or demand constant contact is not someone I care to do business with. This woman was not given my cell phone number, though she tried like hell to get it. When I said I’d be out of the office and why and she STILL called constantly, I knew boundaries weren’t something she honored.
Thanks for this great post! I’m just starting out and sometimes it’s tempting to take everything that comes along, but I know that some jobs just aren’t worth the stress. The employer clearly wants a “regular” employee (and a doormat style one at that!)
Thanks for commenting, Laurie! That is a temptation, but drawing boundaries now really does establish you as a professional much faster. You’re right about the doormat!