|
| |
|
|
Nicole
Posts: 2992
Joined: 9/15/2004
From: Sydney, Australia
Status: offline
 |
Would you charge for this? - 2/20/2007 6:23:41
My longest serving client is an organisation who's site I continue to maintain. I've redesigned their site twice previously and as it's a site I would like to showcase in my portfolio, and having learnt so much since previously redesigning their site, I've offered them a free redesign with the understanding that I do so in my spare time and I use their site to test out latest things that I learn.
Lately I haven't had much spare time, house moves, quoting for a few bigger jobs and a client or two whose jobs are now behind schedule, but the long standing client isn't complaining or anything.
But as mentioned I am suddenly very busy and am also maintaining their site, which has had a lot of updates of late, especially since the new acting General Manager knows the value of the web to his organisation and is sending me paid updates to his existing site two or three times weekly. Previously I'd earn roughly $100 to $200 per month for maintaining their site, with this new Acting GM I'm earning $400 to $500 so I'm not complaining.
But as other work slips behind, quotes remain unquoted, this client continues to send updates for his site with little regard to the structure of his site and that the current structure just can't handle all the latest updates to appear on the opening page in a prominent position. His instructions are very brief, very lacking in thought and very misleading at times and this morning, for the second time lately he asked me to put something on his site that is already there, just that he asked differently which made me think he wanted something different. This is the entire contents of one of his emails today in response to my 1 hour and 15 minutes at the keyboard typing an email to him explaining everything I felt necessary to get a particular message across:
quote:
Ok Nicole just put the flyer in word or you know what I mean
An email just two minutes later read:
quote:
Sorry Nicole I see it is already on the site
I write emails rather than call them most of the time because I'm out of town, or they're out of my town, and phone calls cost, but also to cover my back in case anything goes pear shaped and there's no documented evidence of what I've meant. This site has already met with it's share of mention in State Parliament and had parts removed after the State Opposition Leader demanded so, so I have to be careful with my involvement with it.
Anyway, I spent a good 2 - 3 hours this morning writing this email, thinking about it, changing it etc, at a time I can't really afford that time, for something flippant that the site owner didn't even realise was already on the site in another form.
Would you guys charge for this? I wouldn't have in the past but given the circumstances I think I might. In my monthly invoices to this client I particularise the work I've undertaken, would you include "email writing" (I'll try and word it better), or would you wrap it up as something else or include it as a contingency if indeed you'd charge for it at all.
< Message edited by Nicole -- 2/20/2007 6:31:14 >
_____________________________
". . . and God created man in his image." errr, shouldn't that be "and man created God in his image'?
|
|
|
|
Nicole
Posts: 2992
Joined: 9/15/2004
From: Sydney, Australia
Status: offline
|
RE: Would you charge for this? - 2/21/2007 1:57:30
I guess you guys are right. I've been thinking about it a bit today and initially I felt that there was no way they'd agree to that, but now having thought more about it, I think if I pointed out the behind the scenes work that I do that they just don't realise. In the last 21 months I've earnt $3300 from just maintaining this site which doesn't seem that much now that I look at it, only about $150 per month, but it has increased quite a bit in the last few months.
_____________________________
". . . and God created man in his image." errr, shouldn't that be "and man created God in his image'?
| |
|
|
|
DebSpecs
Posts: 136
Joined: 1/4/2007
From: NY
Status: offline
|
RE: Would you charge for this? - 2/21/2007 12:23:05
Yes, Nicole, I would charge for the time it is taking to organize your client's thoughts. Although you offered to redesign the site for free, it sounds like you made it clear that the redesign would be based on your ideas. Since it has now taken the direction of you tailoring and customizing the site based on the client's ideas, the original agreement is moot. A nice way to put it would be this: Remind customer of original agreement. Tell him because he is a valued customer, you will forgo your usual $200 per hour charges and only charge him $100 per hour for consultation/design fee. Of course, change the number to suite yourself.
:)F
| |
|
|
|
jackfd
Posts: 2
Joined: 10/13/2004
Status: offline
|
RE: Would you charge for this? - 2/21/2007 14:00:05
We have several clients that fall into this category. We agree with the retainer idea however we add two additional factors. 1st, the retainer is called a maintenance contract and gives them 3 hours per month at a discounted rate ($100 vs $150/hr) additional hours are billed on top of the retainer at the preferred rate. The other factor is that we tell them that we update their site WEEKLY which means that we collect their various edits throughout the week and perform them each Monday (this will save both of you time and money). If they require emergency service charge an expiting fee (like ups and fedex). Also we DO count all the time related to communicating with then and assisting them with their strategy and goal setting and correcting their mistakes.
PS If you don't have a signed agreement that THEY are responsible for all the content on their site (from a legal standpoint) you are asking for trouble.
| |
|
|
|
sjt
Posts: 53
Joined: 3/8/2002
From: Raleigh NC USA
Status: offline
|
RE: Would you charge for this? - 2/21/2007 16:09:23
I charge for my time. I start the clock when I sit down at my computer, and stop the clock when I get up from my computer...
Stacy
_____________________________
| |
|
|
|
noelx99
Posts: 5
Joined: 10/9/2006
Status: offline
|
RE: Would you charge for this? - 2/22/2007 16:48:58
While I don't necessarily "charge for correspondence", I make sure my quote or retainer has that time (or at most some of that time) covered.
| |
|
|
|
Nicole
Posts: 2992
Joined: 9/15/2004
From: Sydney, Australia
Status: offline
|
RE: Would you charge for this? - 2/23/2007 4:34:35
Thanks for your continued responses guys.
I may have mislead you a little, I am redesigning a site for them free of charge, but these changes and occasional wastes of of my time are in relation to making changes to their existing website for which they have signed a maintenance agreement with me.
_____________________________
". . . and God created man in his image." errr, shouldn't that be "and man created God in his image'?
| |
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts
|
|
|
Printable Version 
)