I thought charging by the day was a bad idea until a client in Boise asked for it

They wanted me for a two-day rush job and offered a flat $800 per day, which was way more than my normal hourly rate would have been for the same work. It made me realize some clients just want to know the project is done, not how long each tiny task takes. Anyone else find day rates work better for certain jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

david9208d ago

Wait, they paid you $800 for a single DAY? That's insane money for Boise, no offense to Idaho. I've seen day rates before but that's like, consultant in a major city level cash. For a two day rush job that's basically a $1600 bonus just for moving fast. Makes total sense though, some clients really do just want the problem gone and will pay a premium to make it happen yesterday.

corap618d ago

Honestly it reminds me of a time I quoted a fixed project price that felt high, but the client just said "great, when can you start?" lol. They didn't care about the hours, they just wanted the thing fixed and off their plate. Sometimes you're not selling your time, you're selling a solved problem. That day rate is just pricing the peace of mind.

blake_kelly197d ago

Ever have a client push back on a high quote, then you find out later they paid way more for a worse solution from someone else? Makes you wonder how they decide what's too expensive. What's the actual line where a client feels ripped off versus feeling like they got a good deal for speed? Is it just about their budget, or something else?