Think of a time you’ve been frustrated by a client. Did you just feel a burst of anger?
Whether you’re a freelancer or work in a more traditional office setting, you’ve probably had to deal with customers that make your blood boil. Working with know-it-all clients or clients who have unrealistic expectations is common. There’s even a whole website dedicated to it called Clients from Hell.
We put together a visual on types of clients that you never want to work with. Can you relate?
Though appeasing these kinds of people can be frustrating and borderline impossible, here are some tips on what you can do when you have to deal with a difficult client:
- Give them a clear timeline and deliverables. Let your client know exactly what you’ll be doing for them, how much time it will take, and what they can expect the end result to be in writing. If they had new asks midway, revisit the timeline and scope of the project.
- Track your time. If you know your client is skeptical of how long you say things take, track time for each part of a project and be ready to send the client a summary if they mention a task was “easy” and shouldn’t take so long. Though they may not trust you tracked your time correctly, it gives them (and you) a baseline to go off of for similar types of projects.
- Stay calm. This seems obvious, but it is important to remain calm and positive. If you get angry it will only further agitate the situation.
- Set realistic expectations. Don’t promise that you’ll do something you’re not sure if you can. It’s better to underpromise and overdeliver than than vice versa.
Do you have a story where you had to deal with one of the types of clients above? Share it with us below! And if you need another laugh, take a look at these types of toxic bosses.