It never ceases to amaze me a) how much clients will try to get out of your for free and b) how far some clients will go to ruin their own projects. That's why the words "up to" and "additional" litter my contracts.

Look at it this way, Jay ... it's -8 degrees and snowing up here.

Kevin

Just thinking about how my boss would have handled this, and what I would have recommended to him.

He probably would have said "Yes, fine, I'll do that" because he likes to keep clients happy. However, the truth is that we have enough computers that he can set up the render and then go edit at another station.

If you're encoding to Windows Media then you can set up the Windows Media Encoder on another station to render a master from Vegas. This way you don't need to concern yourself with multiple licenses of Vegas.

Once he had a couple of renders I'd recomend giving people a choice of movies on the web page. Also, you can often render at a lower res and then play it at double size. It often looks perfectly fine that way.

I assume that the files are able to stream from the server? Are you just delivering movies or do you need to set up the web pages as well?

Rob Mack

It certainly pays to specify what you're delivering beforehand, but if it's a client who gives you lots of work then you need to make them happy while training them to have reasonable expectations.

Rob Mack

Had our share of great clients and pain in the a@@ clients,, , had one i even had to keep the finished product because after it was finished the quoted price was too high, AFTER A DAYS EDIT.She refused to pay the quoted amount and offered x dollars like it was some kind a flea market.
She said well you talkin american dollars well in canada i blah blah blah,,, You are in North Carolina for #$%^&&** sake!!!!
Deleted it right in front of her. Yep, I can be a moron.
I'm done.

You need to get the quote agreed to before you start work, of course. And you have to limit the scope of the work.

But, yes, some clients are just nuts. We've had one recently who was constantly hunting for that extra inch for us to give him so he could then try to take a mile. It's become a fun game to talk to him on the phone and watch him try to slip tings past us in the most childish way possible.

Rob Mack

Dave, I can be a moron, too... and have on many occasions (like posting this gripe).

But I'm talking about a company that owns the entire building--skyscraper--they inhabit on Brickell Avenue here in Miami (the most high-priced real estate in town!) and they've done over $1.6 billion dollars of business over the past 10 years.

I wondering if they were able to get the building for free???

There are definitely times when you have to deal with (*) customers appropriately.

I have been in business for several decades, and think it is safe to say I am legendary for going out of my way to make customers happy. They have rewarded me with great word-of-mouth and following me through different companies even.

One time, my employees were totally in shock after I grabbed a customer from a $75M company and literally threw him out by his bum and told him to never come back.

My employees couldn't understand it, and they were quite visibly shocked, as I am normally a very mild-mannered person.

I could only tell them that this customer wasn't here to buy, but to steal the source code for our software... They demanded repeated source code reviews with lots of notes, and none of my employees caught on to this ruse, as I was sad to see.

This error was not repeated... :O)

Sadly, this is modern day America. Gt as much as you can for as little as you have to pay. I could see if this was a small outfit trying to get something extra but if its a big company, tough. Make them pay the fair amount.

In my business model, I alot for so much extras or freebies but it is for clients that truly cannot afford the extras. Any extras I would do for a larger client is negotiated BEFORE I even begin work on the project. Honestly, I have found to this point that big companies are usually not worth the hassle unless the pay day is big enough. What I hate the most is for cheaper clients who you have already broke your back for continue to ask or expect free stuff or miracles for the same if not lower cost the next time around.

If I have learned anything in the last year is that I will no longer kiss anyone's rear to get or keep business. I dont care if its as a teacher or videographer or whatever. I am working hard to make an honest living just as many others do and expect myself and my work to be treated in a fair manner.

I would have asked the big wig company for some of their product for free and wait for their response.

OK - I'm a technodweeb by trade and this time of year this favorite is usually sent to many by me - However it seems appropriate for this message thread as well -

Enjoy!


Twas the night before crisis,
And all through the house,
Not a program was working,
Not even a browse.

The programmers were wrung out,
Too mindless to care,
Knowing chances of cutover
Hadn't a prayer.

The users were nestled
All snug in their beds,
While visions of inquiries
Danced in their heads.

When out in the lobby
There arose such a clatter,
That I sprang from my tube
To see what was the matter.

And what to my wondering
Eyes should appear,
But a Super Programmer,
Oblivious to fear.

More rapid than eagles,
His programs they came
And he whistled and shouted
And called them by name.

On Update! On Add!
On Inquiry! On Delete!
On Batch Jobs! On Closing!
On Functions Complete!

His eyes were glazed over,
His fingers were lean,
From weekends and nights
In front of a screen.

A wink of his eye,
And a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know
I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word,
But went straight to his work,
Turning specs into code,
Then he turned with a jerk.

And laying his fingers
Upon the ENTER key,
The system came up,
And worked perfectly!

The updates updated;
The deletes they deleted;
The inquiries inquired;
And the closing completed.

He tested each whistle,
He tested each bell,
With nary an abend,
And all had gone well.

The system was finished,
The tests were concluded,
The user's last changes
Were even included!

And the client exclaimed,
With a snarl and a taunt,
"It's just what I asked for,
But it's not what I want!"

Oh man - that is great!

And the client exclaimed,
With a snarl and a taunt,
"It's just what I asked for,
But it's not what I want!"

Truer words were never spoken...

"do what I want, not what I'm telling you to do!"