Client asks for a change and doesn't like it....
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- omahadesigns
Situation:
a. Client requests you change something and is specific.
b. You say that you don't recommend, but do it and client doesn't respond to email.
c. A week later, client shows it to his boss and boss says the change doesn't make sense.
d. You casually say that it was your clients idea so not to get blamed.
e. Client gets mad at you for making him look bad.
f. Is there any right answer?
- GeorgesII0
You did right son,
he fucked up, he should get 100% of the blame
- Continuity0
If your recommendation against the change is in an email, you're covered. Clearly your client contact isn't listening to professional counsel, and that's his problem, not yours.
- And you didn't make him look bad, he made himself look bad, he's just projecting it on you.Continuity
- ESKEMA0
You did good. Fuck the cunt. I hate people like that.
- Miesfan0
yes. You said "i don't recommend to do this change".
- pig0
I guess it depends how "casually" you said it was the clients idea.
IT DIDN'T DO DIS
But yeah, the client is a bit of a cowardly shithead
- 23kon0
You did the right thing.
Better that his boss knows it was his employee giving the pish suggestions rather than thinking it was you. It's kept your reputation in-tact and means the boss will trust your judgement over his employee in the future if anything like this ever happens again in future jobs.
- i_monk0
You did the right thing, but the wrong way. Making your client look bad is not the brightest move.
- vaxorcist0
SHOVE IT UP THEIR ASS!!!!!
ok, time to grow up a bit....
ok, clients care more about how you make them FEEL and LOOK than anything you actually do... so, by making them feel bad and/or look bad, it's time to start looking for another client and/or salvaging some relationship here before it becomes a client RELATION-SHIT...
in future, it's best to contradict firmly in a one-on-one meeting if you can, and/or establish some "argument chain" so that when they try to come up with a "stupid idea" you can point to how their "stupid idea of random taste variation" is actually more of a "total sidetrack from the main idea you signed off on here in this previous agreement"
- GeorgesII0
you know who else asked for CHANGE!!
- ESKEMA0
The Boss IS the client. the douche is just the guy managing the project, or am I wrong?
If this is the case, you didn't made the client look bad, just it's employee. And that only gives you more value to the client, because, clearly, you have a better sense of what's to be done.
- formed0
Totally disagree. Your client is your client. His boss is his boss, not yours. Most likely, your client can find someone new should they want to. Not to mention, they can talk badly behind your back and turn the boss against you, should they want to.
Getting in the middle of things that are far out of your control will make you look bad and you'll lose. Boss is NOT going to fire his employee, which has value beyond one project, you don't. Even if the boss recognizes it is your client's error, he's still going to keep his employee. If his employee and you have a problem, you go and they find a new person to hire.
All about investments. You are a nothing but a service, his employee is an investment of his.
That said, there are very tactful ways to cya. You have to be clever and make it known that you prefer another option, but thought the client's change was a choice.
Something like this "design is a very subjective thing. Personally, I prefer the square buttons over the round ones [the round being the client's] and find that user's generally respond better to them due to blah blah blah blah." Finish with something about great design is a team effort that benefits from experiments and team efforts.
Pat your client on the back while making it clear that you knew the correct direction. Win win.
All this stuff about telling people to screw off and throwing someone under the bus will just leave you without a job. Client and boss will find another designer that doesn't back stab/talk badly (as surely your client will cya when you leave and make you look bad).
Client is your client. Client's boss is NOT your client. If a marketing manager hires you, they are the one that will hire a replacement. The CEO hired them to do that. Don't go around someone's back, esp when you have no control on what gets said when you are gone.
Never, ever, make someone look bad in front of their boss. Regardless of how right you are. You will lose.
- boobs0
This is the kind of bureaucratic pas de ceux that gives me a real headache.
Design work is fun. It's dealing with clients that's tricky and stressful.
- cannonball19780
Good designer. Bad consultant.