- It's not a good habit to have
but knowing when and how to end a relationship with a client
is critical.
Your sanity, career and reputation are part of the equation.
Continuing to work with a bad client
can only be damaging to one or all of these.
Of course it's important to know the difference between
a client who is challenging or just plain bad.
And if you determine you can no longer tolerate it
how to not burn the bridges.
Early in my career I had a client
who started off wonderfully.
The work was exciting and I was proud of the solutions.
As time passed however, things changed.
At first, he began art directing me.
He'd suggest moving a logo to the left a bit
or making headlines bold.
That was fine.
I could manage that and make it work.
But then he began making impossible demands
and yelling when it wasn't what he wanted.
I didn't want to lose that client.
It was a large account and helped pay overhead.
But I was anxious whenever he called.
The work had deteriorated to design by committee
and he complained about every invoice.
I realized if I spent the same amount of time
I was with the client
getting new business,
I'd get new business.
So I quit.
Clearly this isn't an easy decision.
But there are several factors to recognize
before deciding to resign from a project.
First, there are days when someone is disagreeable or short.
But I draw the line at yelling.
There is one person in the world who can yell at me;
my mother.
There is no reason, ever,
to yell at someone in a professional setting.
I expect the same level of respect from
the client as I give.
Secondly, is the product, you're design work, being damaged?
This isn't about using a different red than you like.
It's about objectively looking at the work
and determining if the quality is below your standards.
Your design is your product
which is tied to your reputation.
If you produce work you are ashamed of
you will get more of it.
This is a fine line that is difficult to explain.
There are some projects I've done
that I'm not super excited by because
the images were poor or the paper wasn't my first choice.
But there are very few that I would never show someone.
By committing to high standards of quality
I attracted clients who wanted the same.
This may be a high-end, limited edition book
or inexpensive flyer.
Only you can decide where the line is
between not being exactly your original concept
and being ashamed of it.
If you reach the point where you decide
to let the relationship go and move on
it's important to be respectful.
We all have fantasies of calling someone
and really letting them know how we feel.
But that only makes you feel good at the moment
and it's destructive.
Before committing to quitting
sit down with a client and calmly discuss your concerns.
This isn't to assign blame.
It's to see if there's a good solution.
But if that time has passed
or you know that meeting is pointless
gracefully resign.
Word spreads quickly about bad behavior.
I send a letter that typically states the following;
If it's appropriate,
"I'm proud of the previous work we've done together.
It's clear that the client's needs would be better met
at a different firm or with a different designer.
This can be due to costs or man power necessary.
I'll gladly provide the final files of work done to date".
Now this means, final files.
Not the studies and explorations.
You own these.
This is for any work that was complete.
I'll send a final invoice for work completed.
I don't go into lengthy detail about
how I feel wronged or what my reasons are.
The less said, the better.
As I mentioned, it's not a good habit to form
but knowing when it's time to resign
from a project is important.
As designers we can mistake our clients as benefactors.
They are not.
You are not Michelangelo
and the client is not the Medici family.
You are a professional designer providing services
in exchange for compensation.
You deserve respect and so does the client.
Even if you're mad.