Had a client last week who wanted a full site redesign in 24 hours for free

I'm a freelance web designer. On Tuesday, a guy from Portland emailed me saying his site was 'broken' and needed a total redo before a big meeting on Wednesday night. I sent a normal quote, and he replied that since it was an 'emergency' for his small business, I should just do it as a favor to help out. He kept calling my phone after I said no. Part of me thinks you should never reward that behavior, but another part wonders if helping in a real pinch could lead to good word of mouth. Has anyone else been pressured to work for free with a fake urgent deadline?

4 comments

4 Comments

maryr431mo ago

Remember that good word of mouth only works if they respect you enough to pay.

john_lopez1mo ago

Ever think they might be testing you to see if you're a pushover before bigger projects? In my experience, people who start with extreme asks like that are often terrible clients long-term. That good word of mouth is a fantasy with someone this entitled.

tara_martin1mo ago

Yeah that "good word of mouth is a fantasy" line hits hard. I had a client ask for a full free sample project once. I said I could do a smaller, paid piece first to show my work. They ghosted me, which just proved they wanted free labor. Dodged a bullet.

the_rose1mo ago

John's point about testing pushovers is so real. Last year a client asked me to build three free landing pages as a "trial run" for a huge project. I did one, and they immediately demanded more free work with even tighter deadlines. When I finally said no, they badmouthed me to a local business group. That good word of mouth only comes from clients who value your time from the very first email.