Started charging a flat $75 fee for rush requests and it backfired hard

I put a rush fee on my rate sheet back in February thinking it would cover the extra stress of last minute jobs. Last week a client paid it no problem but then expected me to drop everything for them every single day for a week straight. I ended up doing way more work than I planned for that $75. Now I'm wondering if I should make the fee a percentage of the total job instead or just say no outright. Has anyone else had a rush fee totally blow up on them?

3 comments

3 Comments

noraroberts15d ago

My buddy charged a rush fee once and ended up working 80 hours for one client in a single week.

abbyf7915d ago

I know it sounds crazy, but 80 hours for one client in a week sounds like a failure of planning, not a rush fee issue. If you're charging extra for speed but then letting that one job eat your entire availability, you're basically working for free after a certain point. A rush fee should cover the inconvenience of dropping other work, not become an all you can work buffet for one client. It's like they paid a premium to own your whole schedule, and that's a terrible trade off.

ruby_bell4715d ago

Ngl that tracks. I took on a rush cleaning job for a wedding venue once and ended up pulling 18 hour days just to get it done before the rehearsal dinner. Tbh the extra money was nice but I was dead on my feet the whole time and swore never again.