Canonical list from Clients from Hell:
Six simple rules for dealing with clients
1. No matter how many design concepts you produce, the client will always attempt to combine their weakest elements.
2. Keep all emails down to two sentences – three or more and they won’t get read to the end.
3. Never ask two or more questions in an email – you’ll only get one answer.
4. Don’t expect clients to take your written payment terms as more than guidance.
5. If they ask for more it’s trivial. If you ask for more it’s prissy.
6. Any client that says “I could do this myself, but…” actually can’t, and they aren’t worth the hassle.
So true... I weep but it is so true...
About 30 years ago, I discovered that I could fire problem clients. Greatest revelation in the world for me!
Either tell them that I was way to busy to give them the full attention that they warranted or else, quote them a nose-bleed price and if they agreed, suck it up like a man and do the job and spend the next month somewhere really nice (and away from telephones - this was back in the '80's). Both worked out really well.
