[*ChiMeng]

Rant mode on:
Last year, I was referred to this client (from a friend) who owned a B&B. He had an ugly static site for over 6 years and wanted a fresh new look. I redesigned his site (an improvement with Flash, photo gallery, automated contact page, stats, dynamic link to his reservation page, pHp) but because of his ignorance, he demanded on how the site should look - result: it is still ugly. It is orange and he insist on having the url on his top banner. Pffft!

Anyway, it was launched last year April 2008 and he loves it! Go figure(???)
Unbeknown to him, I removed any connection from me and my firm's name from his hideous site.

During the process of building his site, we became friends due to our connection with a mutual friend. I gave up arguing with him and just did what he wants.

I hosted his site and told him that I will provide tech support for the hosting.

Within the last year - every request he made had nothing to do with the physical website nor with the hosting - but because he was a friend and the tasks were minimal, I did it (for Free).

Now comes the 1-year anniversary of his website.
I emailed him about his deadline and a fee of $400 for another year of hosting. His response was not what I was expecting.

He was "upset and disappointed" with my service and do not wish to continue paying this "expensive" fee. He compared my $33.33 per month hosting is more than what he paid for his static HTML site 7 years ago. In addition, I did not meet up to his definition of tech support.

Last month, he discovered that Google maps had listed his B&B as "place closed". He contacted me in a panic and asked me for my help. Being sympathetic, I told him I would investigate it since I myself have always been curious on how Google search engines work. I found out what it was about and sent him the links and information on how to clear this up with Google.

Well, this wasn't what he felt was tech support that he is "paying for". He expected me to CORRECT THIS or find a temporary solution because as he stated, "he was losing customers".

What an asshole. For a businessman - he is not very smart. How the hell am I responsible for what a 3rd party (in this case: Google) does on their search engine. Am I am responsible to FIX This??!!

In a nutshell, I emailed him and told him off - redefining what the true meaning of tech support. I told him that in the last year, I had spent hours helping him (doing non-tech support work for FREE) and he slaps me in the face and insults me.
I told him to take his business elsewhere. He has until May 1 before his site goes blank on my server.

And get this, he continues to ask for my help in learning how to move his site to another host.

Unbelievable!

I told him (nicely) to F--K off!
Rant mode Off!

[gareth_esutera]

Originally Posted by *ChiMeng

He was "upset and disappointed" with my service and do not wish to continue paying this "expensive" fee. He compared my $33.33 per month hosting is more than what he paid for his static HTML site 7 years ago. In addition, I did not meet up to his definition of tech support.

Geez!! You should've stopped servicing his website when this part happened.

Your patience is quite impressive.

[DKuntz2]

wow, sounds like he thinks that the web is magic, and if you use buzzwords, you'll always sound smart.

[PointandStare]

You win some you lose some. Normally the ones you lose are the ones you don't particularly want anyway.

[*ChiMeng]

Yeah - Complete utter ignorance.
He suppose to be a businessman and the bulk of his customers finds him via his website which is costing $33.33 per month - why are you complaining???
(This amount also includes renewal of his domain name).
People out there truly don't know what is involved in building and hosting a website. Until they shop around and pay by the hour will they realize they lost a good thing.

Once the site is moved out of my server - I'll write down the site so that you can view and comment on the hideous orange. And oh yes - you can also find the url on the banner (LOL). The site is still live on my server until May 1.

This may take a month or so (I think he is attempting to do the domain transfer and launch to a new host by himself. Dumbass!).

And if you are the unfortunate webdesigner to take over his site - my advice, charge by the hour and keep all communications on email.

[Shiro]

I can see the situation from his side as well. I think you guys just had some mis-communication issues.

[DesignbySin]

People always want something for nothing.

[Phelmoxes]

please make sure to keep your promise and shut down the site at 00:00 May 1 , GMT+00. Yes, and send him a 3 day prior notice with the exact time and time zone
Such "clients" need to learn to behave and respect what people do for them.

[Shiro]

You guys are all blasting the client pretty bad here, but it seems to me that he was expecting technical support and guidance, and probably thought that he was paying for that, while the disigner was under the impression that he was only providing hosting and was doing free extra help as well. Sounds like miscommunication as a result of a lack of communication on what exactly was to be provided for the money paid. It looks like both parties are unhappy as a result.

This is case in point on why its so important to creat a clear consise brief before starting a project, so as to not come across problems like this.

OP: Sorry to hear you are feeling like you got a shitty deal. But take a lesson from it so it doesn't happen again.

[Phelmoxes]

Shiro, you have a point there, indeed. But keep in mind that this was going on for ONE year. The client haven't mentioned anything about poor service quality during the whole period. My impression is that if this was a issue, chiMeng would react appropriately.
It still looks to me as a legitimate case of client trying to "over-smart" a developer...
as the saying goes, if you want to loose a friend, sell him/her a car )
web pages don't fall far :P it's tricky indeed

[Shiro]

It went on for a year, but he probably thought that was the service you were providing for that year, so when it came time for renewal, it was time to say something.

Or not, maybe the guy is a cock - I don't know him, nor his side of the story. But that's what I read between the lines through what you wrote.

[freelancr]

Overcharging much on the hosting? $400 is quite a lot just to host a single website for a small business, especially when there are thousands of hosts out there advertising suitable hosting for about $50 a year.

You made a big mistake doing work casually for free. Most of us have probably done it, naively thinking if we don't rock the boat it will pay off in the long term - problem is it sometimes doesn't, and you have a client ringing you up constantly for everything because they don't realise how much work is involved with dealing with them.

Obviously I am guessing most of that cost is for maintenance and technical support, and you don't seem to be charging enough for your time. Give him a choice whether to take on support at an extra cost. You should break down your support and hosting charges on the invoice so it doesn't look like you have plucked a nice round number out of the air. Perhaps you could offer him hosting with monthly payments? Or offer him technical support at an hourly rate.

Just seems like a communication problem.

[*ChiMeng]

@ freelancer - yes, one can probably find much less for hosting - I found one for about $5 per month. But my client knows, I too am a small business and personally I cannot compete with all the hosting that is out there. But what clients are paying for is expertise as well as the hosting. No one should ever downplay knowledge and experience. And don't forget - you get what you pay for - because Cheap is cheap!

@ Shiro - this is beyond miscommunications. There is more to the story than what I had shared above. I had to correct him last year August08 when he thought tech support included print materials. He wanted brochures, business cards and letterheads because he wanted these print materials to match the logo and colors of the website. And he wanted to be able to print these items off the website - therefore, he thought it was within the scope of my tech support. Dumbass! I defined to him what tech support was last year - he just didn't listen/remember. How much mis-communications can I prevent when his IQ is equal to a parking lot puddle.

Last November08 - he wanted the ability to 'easily edit something himself" because "most services claim to include this capability". He basically wanted a CMS package (which he declined at the start of our business venture because it was too expensive). So during this hosting period, he wanted this feature thinking that it is part of tech support. And of course, he didn't want to spend any money. Dumbass! I, instead, created an FTP capability for him (though I know he has absolutely no idea what to do). There is mis-communications and there is a client that just wants to bleed you dry.

So it is not mis-communications. He is just not a smart businessman. He is cheap and he is stupid.
He is stupid to think that I, as his web designer, am responsible for anything and everything internet related that would negatively impact his business (as with his Google Map "place closed" crisis).

He is cheap - If you know your website provides over 80% of your business, why would you shortchange or even compromise the avenue where the majority of your customers are coming from. This is NOT a savvy business model.

And as a businessman - why would one waste another minute with an unhappy customer who insults you and refuse to patronize your business but continues to ask you for information, advice and help?!
After I told him to get lost - he emails me asking me how to move his site, find hosting and move his domain name. Asshole!

I tolerated his ignorance for the last year because we had a mutual friend.
Well, no longer.

This past Friday, he emailed me, asking me to unlocked his domain name, I did. I believe he is attempting to move the domain out of my registrar by himself (because he thinks he can save money and do website by himself).
Well, its Sunday night - his domain is still in my registrar (still unlock) and no activity.

[hawken]

$400 a year is too much

[*ChiMeng]

Originally Posted by Phelmoxes

please make sure to keep your promise and shut down the site at 00:00 May 1 , GMT+00. Yes, and send him a 3 day prior notice with the exact time and time zone
Such "clients" need to learn to behave and respect what people do for them.

He knows that his site will be turned off on May 1 so I do not need to send him any 3-day notice. However, I did not give him a time as to when it will be turned off - but what is the rule of thumb?

Can I turn it off Thursday night when the clock strikes midnite Friday, May 1 @ 00:01AM?
Can I turn it off in the afternoon when I'm working at my computer?
Or must I turn it off only-after Friday, May 1 @ 23:59PM?

To be frank - his 1-year anniversary actually ended last week April 22.
As a nice gesture on my part, I extended the deadline to May 1.
Is there a liability if I turn it off before midnite Friday?

[Aozame]

Turn it off on May 2nd since this seems to be an unsettled issue. You should have stipulated a GMT time for end of service in the beginning. A privately determined grace period of around 3 days is my preference. You have extended one to him past the April 22nd, but consider keeping your grace periods private from now on. There's no such thing as nice gestures in business. Only sloppy decisions.

[Accurate]

$400 per year does seem a lot. What is the amount of space/bandwidth the client is using?

[Aibrean]

Google maps is not administrated through website keywording, you manually sign up for it and put in your business details and it's linked to a Google account (mine is anyway).

Sounds like this guy was trying to funnel out everything he could from you.

[*ChiMeng]

Turn it off on May 2nd since this seems to be an unsettled issue. You should have stipulated a GMT time for end of service in the beginning. A privately determined grace period of around 3 days is my preference. You have extended one to him past the April 22nd, but consider keeping your grace periods private from now on. There's no such thing as nice gestures in business. Only sloppy decisions.

Tick Tick tick - it is now 9PM EST. 3 more hours to go!
At 12:01AM - his site will be turned off. This is 4:01AM GMT.
His domain names are still in my registrar - no signs of movement. I personally shopped around for labor quotes for web designers around the area - whew! Expensive. Since my ex-client is not looking to build a website but to move it to another host - labor cost starts at $65 per hour and up!
He will definitely be spending more than $400 just to move his site.

Sometimes I wish clients would do their homework and shop around and get educated to know how much web designers charges for building sites these days.

Oh well - his lost!

[Mark_Stringer]

These kinds of stories always have the words "free" and "friend" in them somewhere. There's a brutal Yorkshire saying which I think applies here.

"You don't talk about friends when you talk about money."

and I have one of my own "I you don't value yourself (and your services) no one else will."