Vent: A client from my first year freelancing just sent a new project request, three years later.

Last week, after I'd already closed my books for the day, an email popped up from someone I did a $150 logo for back in 2021, asking for a 'quick refresh' with the same old budget, which really shows how some folks never update their idea of your rates (you know what I mean?).

4 comments

4 Comments

grace_kelly451mo ago

Honestly, that sounds like a loyal client coming back. They liked your work enough to reach out again after all this time. A quick refresh for a past budget might be their way of testing the waters to see if you're still available. Maybe they just don't realize how much things cost now. You could see it as a chance to reopen the conversation and quote your current rate.

garcia.wren1mo ago

Totally agree with @grace_kelly45, that's the best way to see it. I just send a polite email back with my current rates and a line like "so great to hear from you again, here's what that looks like today." Half the time they just didn't know costs went up, and they're fine with it. The other half ghosts, which tells you all you need to know lol.

the_lucas14d ago

Nah, I don't see it as a loyal client coming back. I think it's more like they're trying to see if they can still get the old price. If they really valued your work, they'd ask what your current rates are, not just assume you still charge what you did three years ago. It's disrespectful honestly, like your time and skills haven't changed at all. The fact that they'd even try to lock in that old price tells me they're not thinking about you as a professional. And everyone who ghosts when you quote a fair rate? That's just them showing you they were never serious about paying for quality work.

blairm771mo ago

My old landlord tried that last year, wanted the same rent I paid in 2019. It's like some people freeze prices in their minds the moment they first pay you. They remember the deal, not the three years of inflation and skill you've gained. That client isn't being cheap on purpose, they're just stuck in the past. You have to be the one to tell them what time it is now.