Title: Conflicts with customer (payments, attitude)
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# Conflicts with customer (payments, attitude)

 *  [graleh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/graleh/)
 * (@graleh)
 * [13 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-customer/)
 * Hi,
 * I have a tiny “problem” which is a bit sensitive, so please be kind to me. I 
   want to tell you the whole story but I will also try to keep it short.
 * I have been working with web since I was 14 years old, I am now 30. I started
   making web sites in wordpress to other people for some years ago. I only made
   web sites for friends (often friends with their own companies) or acquaintances
   so I could trade web site for a favour.
 * Recently I made a web site for a customer I didn’t knew before. I went to my 
   favourite furniture store and asked them if they needed help with their web site.
   And they did. The owner of the store was kind of hard to work with since she 
   used to talk “bullshit/slander” about her former web developer. She used to talk
   about how easy it must be to make a web site: “it’s just to push some buttons
   and then it’s ready” and “my last web developer wanted so much money for his 
   site when he said he used tools for making my web site” and so on. She also kept
   talking about how bad the last developer was, since the web site was hacked. 
   Every time when I talked with her about installing plugins, she kept worrying
   about being hacked again. Over and over again, even though I told her I made 
   my best securing the web site.
 * However, at first the plan was to make a simple web site with presentation only.
   For this I said I wanted $1007. She said she has no cash but I could get furniture
   from her. I said that is completely ok, and I told her I wanted a bedstead (worth
   $2 444) and a big chair/throne (worth $1 438). She said that was ok (and I thought
   she ment that’s my payment). Then she talked about wanting a web shop too and
   we did not really discuss the price. I had never made a web shop before, and 
   I told her that. I should make a try first, I said. And I made it work, so we
   released the site.
 * I also managed some newsletters and taught her how Facebook Pages works. Most
   of the time went to convince her about things she kept asking over and over again,
   like security, bad things about her former web developer and so on. I tried to
   be pedagogic and to not involve my feelings, even though she got on my nerves
   all the time.
 * However, now the web site is released and online and she asked me what I want
   as payment. I answered I want the bedstead first and then the throne. She asked
   how much the site is worth and I answered that I haven’t thought of that. I said
   that a plain site is worth about $1007 and then there is the web shop which is
   worth a lot too. She asked “But the web shop isn’t working..”. I didn’t understand
   what she claimed. “Yes, it does? That’s what I have been trying to get to work
   for a while”, I replied. Then she said: “Well I cannot give you the bedstead 
   since it’s worth much more than your web site, you can have the throne”. I replied
   that I need a bedstead first, since I have none at home. “Well, I can’t give 
   it to you, you will have to pay the difference ($1 006)”. I said I do not have
   the money and she said “Oh it’s not expensive! One customer told me that the 
   bedstead costs $3 594 in other stores!”. I didn’t knew what to answer. “Well,
   I still do not have the money, I thought I would get it”, I replied. “I cannot
   give it to you, but you can have the throne”, she said.
 * I got confused and I didn’t want to answer anything to make her angry and just
   perhaps hanging up or telling me I cannot have anything at all or something like
   that. So I said that I will take the throne and she said that’s ok with her.
 * Then I said I did not know when to get it, since it’s real big. She said she 
   could transport it to me in her truck. I told her that would be wonderful. Then
   she started.. “Hmm, but I don’t know.. how much is your web site worth? How many
   hours have you been working..?”. I didn’t understand anything. I didn’t answer
   and then she said “Ok, I can transport it to you on wednesday”, and I replied
   that’s ok with me. Then we hang up.
 * I feel so bad right now. I feel like being taking advantage of. I feel like I
   have done totally wrong. I have spent so many hours making this web site. I am
   very happy to get the throne, but I thought we agreed about the bedstead too.
   I thought she could show a little humility.
 * I know I should have made an agreement with her. I know I should have told in
   the beginning that the web shop is worth at least $2 875. I should do like my
   male friends do, exaggerate the price and effort.
 * No, I want to know from you what I could have done better. How do you work with
   bothersome customers like this one? What should I have done?
 * And.. what will I do now?
    I do not want to fight, and since I have accepted 
   the throne and we have no agreement, I guess there is nothing for me to do?
 * She asked me if I could help her continuously with the site: sending news letters
   and more. I replied that I absolutely could do this.
    Now, how will I do this,
   best? Should I tell her “I take $143 an hour” or “I want the sofa” or something
   like that? How do I act smart?
 * All your tips and tricks are welcome and please be kind to me. I already feel
   bad for this.
 * Thank you for your time!

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

 *  [Andrew Nevins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/anevins/)
 * (@anevins)
 * WCLDN 2018 Contributor | Volunteer support
 * [13 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-customer/#post-3409185)
 * >  She used to talk about how easy it must be to make a web site: “it’s just 
   > to push some buttons and then it’s ready” and “my last web developer
 * Avoid those people! They will never value your work and always have ridiculously
   high expectations.
 *  Thread Starter [graleh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/graleh/)
 * (@graleh)
 * [13 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-customer/#post-3409203)
 * > Avoid those people! They will never value your work and always have ridiculously
   > high expectations.
 * Thanks for your reply!
    Yep, I will do that. The problem is that these people
   are everywhere. I have recieved job inquiries from other people before who all
   declined my price. One woman wanted me to make a web site for her comanpy. I 
   told her I could give her a discount, so I wanted $731 for a site. She got angry
   and said “That’s too much money for a simple web site! I will try and learn to
   make it myself!”. I was like “Eh what?”.
 * And most people seems to be like this. They do not know what it’s about to make
   a web site. They think it’s just to click a few buttons even though they do not
   understand anything at all when I try to teach them to administrate wordpress.
 * >_<;
 * But I will try to avoid them 🙂
 *  [leejosepho](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leejosepho/)
 * (@leejosepho)
 * [13 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-customer/#post-3409214)
 * > I am very happy to get the throne, but I thought we agreed about the bedstead
   > too. I thought she could show a little humility.
 * I understand completely. You were being of service while enjoying your time in
   doing what you do, and she kept “strict business” (counting all the beans) at
   the end.
 * > I know I should have made an agreement with her.
 * You actually had make an agreement in an overall sense, but neither of you had
   known exactly where things were headed and what the details (actual numbers of
   hours and final payment) would be.
 * > How do you work with bothersome customers like this one? What should I have
   > done?
 * Put your best price on the table and wait for an answer, then do not do anything
   else or more until the same has been done for each new or additional project.
 * > I do not want to fight, and since I have accepted the throne and we have no
   > agreement, I guess there is nothing for me to do?
 * Make a deal for the work she needs done in exchange for the bedstead.
 * > She asked me if I could help her continuously with the site: sending news letters
   > and more. I replied that I absolutely could do this.
   >  Now, how will I do this,
   > best? Should I tell her “I take $143 an hour” or “I want the sofa” or something
   > like that? How do I act smart?
 * Tell her your hourly rate, show her a regular report of time spent and get paid
   in whatever manner (money or barter) as you go along.
 *  [Miroslav Glavić](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miroslavglavic/)
 * (@miroslavglavic)
 * [13 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-customer/#post-3409279)
 * Something bothers me about your original post.
 * You said that you told her $1,007. forget the fact that most people would round
   off to $1,000. That is not what bothers me.
 * Since she has no cash, she offered you a bedstead ($2,444) and chair/throne (
   $1,438).
 * Both those items are worth $3,882.
 * Since she didn’t have the cash, she offered you furniture at over 3 times your
   original quote.
 * Anyways…GET A WRITTEN CONTRACT. **_ALWAYS_ DO THAT**.
 *  Thread Starter [graleh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/graleh/)
 * (@graleh)
 * [13 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-customer/#post-3409287)
 * leejosepho> Thanks for your comments! Seems like fair to me 🙂 I will keep that
   in mind for the next time!
 * Miroslav Glavić> I told you to be kind to me? I am not from America, I used a
   converter to convert an already rounded sum into american dollar, to make it 
   easier for you to read. In Swedish money, it’s rounded off.
 * Um, I am not sure I understand what you mean. I didn’t get two pieces of furniture
   which she said OK to in the beginning, I got only one. And the worth of the site
   was _before _I made the web shop. So this is the whole problem. She said OK to
   something she does not stick to.
 *  [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/)
 * (@wpyogi)
 * [13 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-customer/#post-3409288)
 * Sorry, but this really is not a WordPress issue. Graleh – it’s unfortunate that
   you had a bad experience, but for work contract/pay issues, there are other places
   to get help/advice. We can’t give that kind of advice here.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

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## Tags

 * [conflicts](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/conflicts/)
 * [Customer](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/customer/)
 * [problem](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/problem/)

 * In: [Everything else WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/miscellaneous/)
 * 6 replies
 * 5 participants
 * Last reply from: [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/)
 * Last activity: [13 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-with-customer/#post-3409288)
 * Status: not resolved

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