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Debate: Do you track client hours manually or with software? I'm torn after a nightmare.
I've been fighting with this for months now. I used to track everything by hand in a notebook, writing down start and stop times for each task. It felt honest and I could flip back pages easy. But last month I had a client argue my 12 hours of work was actually 8 because my handwriting was messy and they couldn't read the times. Lost about $400 on that project because I backed down. So I switched to a fancy app that auto-tracks clicks and screenshots. Now I got another client who feels like I'm spying on them with the screenshots, says it breaks trust. Which side do you lean on? Has anyone found a middle ground that keeps both parties happy without losing money or trust?
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morganl7117d ago
Lost $400? Rookie numbers, I once had a client argue my 2pm coffee break was "on the clock" and tried to deduct my latte from the invoice.
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rowanr8817d ago
Kinda feels like you're overthinking this. A few smudged numbers in a notebook is an easy fix with better handwriting or taking a photo of the page after each session. The screenshot app thing is just asking for drama, clients hate feeling watched. Maybe try a simple time tracker that just logs start/stop without any snooping features, like Toggl or Clockify on manual mode. Worst case you lose a few bucks on one fussy client, but that beats having everyone side-eye you.
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