91–100 of 201 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
May I suggest that you refrain from surfing the Internet using IE7 while on a secured military network.
Unfortunately there is no other option. You use the software you're given, and that's it.
This is not a way forward. 1). Work with better clients. You can have invoice collection problems at $50k, too, but they're much less likely than at $500 and you have much better options for... escalation methods at that point. 2). If you're not a bank, stop taking on so much credit risk. Businesses can deal with substantially sterner payment terms than you'd think to offer. If your clients balk, see #1. (Thomas has…
As one of my mentors said about taking people to court "How much of your time / resources would it take to sue them? How much would you gain? How long would it take you to generate that much rev?" When I realized that it took less time to generate the rev than to sue I decided to drop the matter and focus on finding better clients.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you want to perform (for lack of a better word) a mitzvah for the community, rather than picking out a single abusive customer, use your experience and teach people how to pattern match. Memo to young Rails developers: "I have an idea for a website. If you build v1.0 I'll pay you a whole thousand dollars and you might get equity if it works very well." has never had a happy ending. (Slight overstatement there, but…
This particular criterion has the benefit of helping you filter out about half of the job listings on Craigslist all on its own.
One dangerous thing that stands out is this "kill switch". VERY bad idea. Now you are liable for damages. The way to handle this is: When you get the judgement against your "client", slap a lean on his properties equal to the amount owed (and throw in your court costs). That inclues his accounts. All you need is an order from the judge. That's it. That's about all you can do really. Is to go after his assets. Also I'…
Agreed. Worse, since that information is now public, not only is he liable but the chances he might be counter-sued are markedly increased.
He may technically be in the right, but the law doesn't like vigilante justice.
I have started to put a clause in my own contracts that's paraphrased like so: I do some work for you and submit it to you for verification. You have x days to verify it. If you fail to verify it or tell me a scheduled date for verification by that date, it goes on github for the world to see and use for free. I.E. "F * U, Pay Me."
The other thing is that there is an endless supply of bad business deals gone wrong so any individual deal that went south may make the person venting feel better (until they are sued) but they don't contribute to the overall success rate of other folks (except perhaps if they are also dealing with a specific individual or business mentioned).
Contrast this with the Nolopress (www.nolo.com) guys who, by example, provide both tools to successfully navigate what may be new territory and provide suitably anonymized examples which demonstrate the problems that you want to prevent. That is a positive outcome to a bad experience, which is shared learning and signs of things to avoid.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you want to perform (for lack of a better word) a mitzvah for the community, rather than picking out a single abusive customer, use your experience and teach people how to pattern match. Memo to young Rails developers: "I have an idea for a website. If you build v1.0 I'll pay you a whole thousand dollars and you might get equity if it works very well." has never had a happy ending. (Slight overstatement there, but…
"I have an idea for a website. If you build v1.0 I'll pay you a whole thousand dollars and you might get equity if it works very well." If only all the assholes were so easily self-identifying. The real problems are the charming, smooth talking, dream clients offering cool projects, top dollar, and paying on time...until they don't and decide to start making your life hell because you're in so deep already. They're n…
I think, though, that a good method is to ask for an advance and maybe payments as the work progresses. I guess bad clients never pay advances.
This is not a way forward. 1). Work with better clients. You can have invoice collection problems at $50k, too, but they're much less likely than at $500 and you have much better options for... escalation methods at that point. 2). If you're not a bank, stop taking on so much credit risk. Businesses can deal with substantially sterner payment terms than you'd think to offer. If your clients balk, see #1. (Thomas has…
Patrick, I completely agree with you, which is why I have never publicized my difficulties with problem customers. But something in my reptilian brain really still likes this. Let me tell you why... You say "Work with better clients." Working with better clients means avoiding the bad ones. Avoiding the bad ones means being able to identify them. Being able to identify them means being warned. It's almost like seeing…
This is an amusing and dramatic example of why, while it's all good fun for one's reptilian brain, the tactic of trying to call out problem customers by name isn't going to help very much: People with negative reputations have nothing much to lose by starting over.
Whereas those with positive reputations do have something to lose. And the problem with throwing mud is that some of the mud inevitably gets on the thrower.
This is why the effective way to warn people about problem customers is in secret, generally over drinks.
This is not a way forward. 1). Work with better clients. You can have invoice collection problems at $50k, too, but they're much less likely than at $500 and you have much better options for... escalation methods at that point. 2). If you're not a bank, stop taking on so much credit risk. Businesses can deal with substantially sterner payment terms than you'd think to offer. If your clients balk, see #1. (Thomas has…