The client who wanted 'simple changes' and burned 11 hours

Last month I had a client in Portland ask for 'just a few small tweaks' to their landing page copy. Three rounds later I realized each tweak meant rewriting every other section to keep the tone consistent, which they never saw coming. I finally stopped and sent them a breakdown showing 11 hours of work at my hourly rate, with a screenshot of their original email. They tried to argue the changes were 'minor' but I held my ground and sent a revised invoice with a line-item list. They paid it, but I added a clause about scope changes for any future projects. Has anyone else had a client who thinks 'small' means free, no matter how much time it eats?

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1 Comment

noraroberts3d ago

That scope clause is the real winner here, because it turns the conversation from a fight into a formality. Next time they ask for "small tweaks," you just point to the line and say the meter starts now, no hard feelings. It's the only way to teach people that their time blindness isn't your budget problem.