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After a client added 14 new tasks mid-project at a Nashville coffee shop, I finally got it
I was sitting at Frothy Monkey in Nashville last spring, thinking I had everything squared away with this website redesign. Then the client pulls out a notebook with 14 new features they wanted, all for the same flat fee we agreed on 2 months earlier. I felt my stomach drop because I knew I had to either eat the extra work or look like the bad guy. That afternoon I went home and rewrote my whole contract to spell out exactly what each revision round costs and how many are included. I even added a line about 'change order fees' for anything new that pops up after the first draft. Now I send clients a simple checklist at the start so they see the boundaries before we begin. Has anyone else had a specific moment like that where a client pushed too far and you had to change your whole system?
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juliaa652mo ago
That notebook sounds like the stuff of nightmares. Did you have any pushback from clients after you started enforcing those change order fees?
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kevinw942mo ago
Man that notebook story gave me actual chills because I've been there too. It's wild how some clients think they can just pile on more work and expect you to smile about it. Rewriting your contract after that must have been a huge relief though, at least now you have something solid to point to when they try to add stuff. I really respect that you didn't just roll over and take it, most people would have just worked themselves into the ground instead of making a change. That checklist idea at the start sounds like a smart way to get everyone on the same page before feelings get hurt. It sucks that one bad experience can force you to completely rework your whole system, but honestly it sounds like you ended up better for it.
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carr.luna2mo ago
That notebook story gave me a flashback to a similar meeting I had at a diner in Austin where a client pulled out a printed list of 30 tiny revisions they wanted included in the original price. I sat there nodding while my coffee went cold because I didn't know how to say no yet. It took me a full year after that to rewrite my own terms, so I really feel for you having to go through that mid-project stress. The change order fee idea is something I wish I had thought of sooner because it puts the responsibility back on them when they try to add work. Your checklist approach sounds like a solid way to set expectations without having to have an awkward conversation later. I hope the clients who pushed back eventually came around because that kind of protection is worth its weight in gold once you have it in writing.
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