That client who said 'just make it work' and then ghosted me for 3 weeks

Had a freelance web job back in March, small business owner in Cleveland, paid half up front. Mid-project he emails me 'just make it work' when I asked for the logo files he promised. Then silence, no replies for 3 weeks while I'm stuck guessing on colors and fonts. I emailed him 6 times, finally called the shop and his employee said he was on vacation. When he came back he acted like I was the problem for not reading his mind. I finished the project but I told myself never again, I need a contract that spells out response times. Has anyone else had a client vanish mid-project and then blame you for delays?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai_ramirez3822h ago

Three weeks is just the ghosting ceremony for clients who think 'make it work' is a magical spell that means you suddenly gain mind reading powers. I had one guy vanish for a month and come back asking why I didn't just pick a font for him, like I'm supposed to guess his brand vibe from a voicemail that just said 'you know what looks good'. Next time I'm putting a clause in the contract that says if they go silent for more than 5 business days, I get to pick whatever clown colors I want and bill them extra for the psychic services.

henryr4513h ago

Man, that's a rough spot, but honestly you had the contract and the half payment up front, so you were already protected. Clients go quiet all the time, it's part of the gig, and you could've picked a solid neutral palette and moved on without begging for answers. If you need a client to hold your hand through fonts and colors, maybe that's on you for not setting boundaries sooner.