Loading…
20
That 'reply within 24 hours' promise I made to clients finally bit me hard
I had been freelancing for about two years and always told my clients I'd reply to emails within 24 hours. I thought it made me look professional and reliable. Last month I got a email from a client in Orlando at 9pm on a Friday about a small change to a design. I figured I'd wait until Monday since it wasn't urgent. Well they emailed again Saturday morning saying the deadline got moved up and needed the file that weekend. I didn't check my email until Sunday night and by then they had hired someone else for the rush job. I lost a $400 project just because I stuck to that 24 hour rule too rigidly. Has anyone else had a standard policy backfire on them like that?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
xena_hernandez982mo ago
Man that 24 hour rule is a trap. I tell people I'll get back to them within a business day and that's it. Saves your butt when stuff pops up on a Friday night. Some clients will take any promise you make and hold you to it like it's a contract. Learned that lesson a few times myself. Gotta leave some room for the unexpected.
3
logan2712mo ago
Dude that stings, I've been there too. I had this policy where I'd always give clients a free quote same day, no matter what. One time I told this lady I'd send her a price by 5pm, got swamped with a broken mower and a crew that called in sick, and she emailed me at 5:15 saying she went with someone else because I didn't deliver. It was like a $600 job for a big residential property, just gone because I wanted to sound reliable. Now I ALWAYS say "within 24 hours" and leave myself some wiggle room, even if I'm actually faster. You learn that the hard way, man.
2