Stop! Learn How To Recognize These Freelance Client Red Flags
And know what to do about them.
Freelancing is a funny business. Whether you’re an artist, writer, editor, or whatever, you sometimes come face to face with clients who are more trouble than they’re worth.
I’ve been freelancing for over two decades — first in publishing and now in writing. For the most part, I’ve had a lot of great clients. They pay well (and on time), respect boundaries, and are fun to work with.
But I’ve had a few stinkers, too. Clients I’ve had to fire.
Clients I wish I could have fired into the sun.
Here are some of the most common red flags to take notice of. Too many of these, and you’re well within your rights to no longer work with them.
They micromanage.
The worst was the client who asked me to log into his Zoom account and keep my computer’s camera on me while working. That was a hard no. They had no justification for it other than “the higher-ups prefer it that way.” I explained I didn’t work that way and that most times I’m working late at night when no one would be in the office anyway.
They then required me to match my hours to theirs. That was another ‘no’ as one reason I freelance is to work around my family’s needs.
Another client wanted me to log every minute of work even though the job was for a flat fee — not a timed rate. Again, that was a no.
They’re poor communicators.
Some clients make it difficult to know what it is they want. A publisher I used to work with never told me what size a book needed to be or if there was a preferred style guide. I’d have to draw it out of them through repeat emails. It delayed the job and made everyone’s life more difficult.
They don’t respect boundaries.
Most of my clients don’t call me on weekends. I know some hound their freelancers at any time on any day. They seem to feel that because they’re paying you, they own you.
They don’t.
They ask for free work.
“It will give you good exposure!”
Ugh.
They are unclear about their pay rates.
I understand how some clients want to keep pay rates close to their vest in hopes of getting a job done as cheaply as possible, but we can’t properly bid on a job unless we know what your expected rates are and if you’re even worth our time.
It’s worse when they don’t even acknowledge rates that you set for them.
They have unrealistic expectations.
I used to run into this a lot back when I worked as a printing broker. Some clients refuse to accept that specific procedures (such as creating plates for printing) can take time or that ordering folding and mail services will cost extra.
I know this happens a lot in the web design world, where clients will expect an entire website to be built in an hour. Sure, it can be done… kind of. But it won’t be very good.
They have issues paying a deposit.
Often, these clients will act offended if asked to pay a deposit on a job. They may even accuse you of being unprofessional.
Bullshit. Deposits are pretty standard — particularly for big jobs. A deposit means the client is invested in the project, and it protects you in case they flake out later.
They unexpectedly add to the original scope of your project.
These people drive me nuts. I used to write articles for a language-learning site. It started out well, but then they started requiring me to lay the articles out in their WordPress site and handle all the formatting and images.
That was not what I was being paid for, and their word rate was nothing remarkable to begin with. Beware the client that gradually adds more work without offering more compensation for your time and effort.
They try to offer low rates in exchange for regular work.
Some clients can smell a freelancer who is desperate for work. They will then offer them a low rate in exchange for the promise of regular work they can rely on.
Don’t go for it. Your time is valuable, and there are plenty of clients who will pay you your worth. There will be some lean times, but the more you’re in the freelancing world, the better you’ll get at it, and these sort of insulting offers will fall by the wayside.
They have a lengthy application process.
Ever go through an application process that took longer than the assignment you were bidding for? Frustrating, isn’t it?
While some businesses deal with certain amounts of red tape when outsourcing work, that’s their job, not yours. Anything beyond showing proof you’re legally allowed to work in the country should be enough.
They require an unpaid test assignment.
These people are pretty much the lowest of the low. They insist you have to do the first job for free as a test, and then they ghost you after you’ve turned it in. This kind of thing happens way too often.
If a company insists on requiring a test assignment, at least make sure they’ll pay for it once it’s accepted. It’s not a total defense against being scammed, but it gives you better legal options in case you discover they’ve decided to use it without paying.
What you should do if any of these flags show up.
Often, these red flags aren’t necessarily the product of ill-intend, dishonesty, or bad management. Sometimes it’s just ignorance.
If only one or two of these red flags pop up with a client of yours, communicate with them about how what they’re asking for isn’t appropriate or within the scope of the job. The good ones will learn and adjust. The bad ones will not, and that’s when you can be sure they are no longer worth your time.
I’ve had a few clients in the past that had a couple of these red flags. I’ve been fortunate in that, for the most part, we were able to get them taken care of without sacrificing the business relationship.
And then there are the times when you’re forced to sever the relationship quickly.
Don’t worry too much about being bad-mouthed by clients you’ve had to fire. The quality clients often know with whom the problem actually was and are more than willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.
And bad clients also tend not to stay in business for very long. Their ability to hurt you is limited.
Remember that your time is valuable as a freelancer, and you deserve as much dignity as the next person. You’re not an employee. You’re a fellow business person.
If they can’t accept that, cut them loose.
You deserve better.
About John Teehan
John lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2
