Serious question, has anyone else had a client ask for a full refund after the work was done?

I just finished a big project for a bakery in Portland, and the owner called me yesterday saying she wanted all her money back. She said she didn't like the color of the new sign, even though she approved the design proof two weeks ago. I'm out about $2,500 in materials and labor. What do you do when someone changes their mind after everything is already built and installed?

4 comments

4 Comments

zaranelson1mo ago

Consider the client's point of view. She has to look at that sign every single day and it might be hurting her business if she hates it. A proof on a screen is totally different from a giant, permanent sign in real lighting. You should eat the cost as a lesson to get physical color samples signed off next time.

blair9909d ago

Oh man, "eat the cost" for a whole sign? That's a tough lesson sandwich. Maybe just the bread and not the whole deli spread. I get the point about screens being liars, but that's a pricey way to learn about Pantone swatches.

diana_wright1mo ago

The thing is, a lot of print shops actually do have a clause about final color matching. It's not always on the designer to eat the whole cost for a reprint.

jade_king1mo ago

That "screen vs real life" thing zaranelson said is everywhere now.