Client hired me then ghosted for 3 weeks... then demanded everything in 2 days

Had a client in Austin reach out to me for a full website redesign back in February. We agreed on a 6 week timeline, I sent the contract, they signed. Then nothing. No replies to emails, no feedback on the wireframes I sent. Three weeks go by, and suddenly I get a frantic call at 9pm on a Sunday. They need the site live by Wednesday for a conference they forgot to mention. Said they'd pay rush fees but then tried to negotiate down after the work was done. Anyone else dealt with clients who think your time just freezes while they disappear?

4 comments

4 Comments

oliviabutler15d ago

Bet they already had another developer ghost them and you were the backup plan.

sullivan.quinn15d ago

That explains the 9pm Sunday call then. Classic panic mode.

rowanw9115d ago

That "classic panic mode" line reminded me of a project I heard about where a client kept asking for "small tweaks" every night at 11pm, then acted shocked when the deadline slipped. @oliviabutler is probably right about the ghosting thing too. I've seen situations where a client calls a Sunday night "emergency meeting" and it turns out they just forgot to mention the project had been sitting unfinished for two weeks. It's usually not the developer's fault, it's the client not being honest about where things really stand.

angela72815d ago

Hear me out though, was the timeline and scope REALLY that clear from the start? Sometimes clients hear what they want to hear and then panic when reality hits.

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