Fuck you, Pay me
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- nylon
I seem to be on a roll on QBN at the moment so I figured I would come to you, my trusted advisors...
So, we have a client who essentially wants everything for free. They pretend that they value what we do but I don't think they do.
Whilst this is not ideal, it absolutely is worth being involved with them as it does open other doors.
So, we create a two year contract (retainer based) with them that essentially has a shopping list of X amount of things on it for X amount of $.
The contract states that any extra work above and beyond the shopping list will be charged extra at a reduced rate.
In 2012, there was quite a bit more work that 2011 but truthfully I didn't want to rock the applecart so to speak so I let it slide.
2013, the project got considerably bigger.
I told them it was going over budget but OBVIOUSLY, we wanted to deliver the project because thats who we are. We continued to complete the project.Easy enough to tools down but if you act like a cunt, the contract obviously isn't going to get renewed - so we have to bear that in mind - we kind of don't want to lose the business.
2 months after the project has passed, they STILL continue to NOT pay for the extra work. They want to pay 25% of the full amount. They think they are doing us a favour by paying us 25% I might add...
"That could only have took you 10 minutes so why do you think you can charge for this"
...The reason it takes me 10 mins is because I have been doing it for 20 years you fuckwit!!! You are paying for my time and expertise...
Anyway, I am standing my ground here because its all in the contract.
The issue Im having is IF I go down 'that road', the relationship will be destroyed and truthfully Im not sure I want to do that...
I am literally writing 700 word emails daily to reiterate what has happened and that they are out of order, to as the production company about the extra work - they refuse to do this because the truth will hurt.
Some of you work for the man, some of you freelance, some of you run your own agencies so I imagine the responses will be vast and varied...
Any advice would be great...
Thanks
- 20020
Do you really need their business?
If no, fire them.
- cbass990
Did you already deliver the work?
- MarleyMarl0
Did you really come to QBN asking for professional advice?
- As much as a toilet as this place is, there are people here that know about this stuff.CygnusZero4
- Continuity0
I suggest you re-watch the film.
- nylon0
2002 - truthfully - its a good gig - Im not going to lie...
cbass - yes we did - 2 months ago
MarleyMari - I did, yes
Continuity - I don't have time
Calles - alas they don't have kids!
- Gucci0
It sounds to me like you've already painted yourself into a corner by doing them favours.
They don't value your work, and you—in turn—shouldn't value the partnership. However, you're providing excuses for yourself like you're in an abusive relationship. I guess if it's beneficial to you, keep it going with the understanding that it's going to be painful and cost you. Otherwise, put a full stop on and respectfully decline to further doing what amounts to free work as it's a detriment to the growth of your business.
- Continuity0
I really don't get what the problem here is.
They signed a contract with everything spelled out in it, and now they don't want to pay for work you delivered two months ago that falls under one of the provisions of the contract they signed.
It's obvious: get rid of them, and collect the unpaid amount. Stop letting then have you by the bollocks.
- nylon0
Thanks Gucci.
One part of the project is $50,000 of our time.
They have apparently spoken to another agency who will do it for $10,000.
I already told them, I think it is a no brainer and they should use the other company...
- Do you REALLY believe them when they says this?Continuity
- 20020
"2002 - truthfully - its a good gig - Im not going to lie..."
If this is the case, you have to chalk it up as incurring business expense. Write that off.
- nylon0
Continuity - Thanks man
- 20020
Wait wait, you did the work? Did you get any payment?
- fadein110
did you get them to acknowledge and agree to the extra costs in an email or anything before doing the work for them? I presume so.
- ********0
"They have apparently spoken to another agency who will do it for $10,000."
The answer to this statement is: "I'm sorry, I can't tell you why the other agency values their time and services so little."
- <hellobotto
- yep. "who gives a shit... you've got a contract with us—not them." honor your contract or fuck off.hargbine
- spot130
Full video:
- hellobotto0
"They have apparently spoken to another agency who will do it for $10,000."
Great reply via dMullins. I've also leveraged, "I'd be happy to share referrals from clients who paid early and/or felt they were undercharged for the quality of work."
You're worried about the relationship being destroyed, but ask yourself: which is worse...the relationship which ends with confrontational cataclysm, or the relationship which ends after a prolonged tedious stretch of diminishing returns and daily barbs. From what you're describing, they've already gotten to the end of the novel, while you're group is terrified to turn the last page.
Unless it's a situation where there's actual fear of blacklisting or bankruptcy, the solution is simple: consult with legal, invoke the contract, and leverage the threat of collections following an announced period (a reasonable amount of time depending on the amount of the outstanding balance) of late fee amnesty. If *you* don't want to demand payment, slice off a sliver of the balance to have a third party do it for you while you're TCB for another client.
What do you think they would do if they prepaid $50,000 and your team decided to deliver 25% of the project? They wouldn't say, "maybe next time." Provided you've done your due diligence, you have a contract; if you don't honor it, why would you expect the client to comply with fain obligation?
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But then again, all this moot as I read, "we kind of don't want to lose the business." If that's the case, and there's nothing you care to do about it, then you're dance card is full, and he's/she's going to continue stepping on your toes while insisting you fetch more punch.
- tap0
This is easy...
Hand it over to your attorney, let them collect for you and move on. No one needs clients like this.
- ArmandoEstrada0
anyone have a link to the "fuck you pay me" video of the old guy who works in movies?
- spl33nidoru1
^^
- Thanks!!!!!!ArmandoEstrada
- "everyone else might be an asshole, but I'm not" —Harlan's a great fucking writer btwhargbine
- He was also was the principal writer of this.
https://www.youtube.…CyBrainX
