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That $50 retainer fee that finally scared away the tire kickers
I had this one person who kept emailing me every week asking for free samples of my work and wanting to redesign our whole process without paying a dime. After 3 months of this back and forth I finally added a $50 non refundable retainer just to start a project with new folks. First time I mentioned it to that client they ghosted me instantly and I actually felt relieved instead of frustrated. It cost me nothing to set up the fee and it saved me hours of wasted time explaining why I can't work for exposure. Now I just tell people upfront that the retainer covers my initial research and planning time. Has anyone else tried a small upfront fee to filter out the people who just want free labor?
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wyattramirez2mo ago
Funny enough, the $50 retainer could actually work as a trust signal if you frame it right. I had a guy who was really offended by the fee until I explained it gets fully applied to their first invoice if they move forward with the project. That flipped the whole conversation because now it feels like a commitment on both sides, not just them risking money. Seems like some clients actually respect you more when they see you value your own time from the jump.
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kevinw942mo ago
Isn't it funny how that $50 "commitment fee" thing works just like putting money on a concert ticket to make sure you actually show up?
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the_robin2mo ago
Actually that seems kind of backwards to me. You're putting up a wall before you even know if someone is serious or just curious. A lot of my best clients started out as tire kickers who needed time to trust me before they spent real money. A $50 fee would have chased them away before they even got started. You might be filtering out people who could turn into long term paying customers if you just had a little patience. That retainer also sounds like it could make you look desperate or untrustworthy right out of the gate.
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