PSA: That one guy who wanted 'just a few small tweaks' for 3 weeks straight

Had a freelance client last fall who kept saying 'one more tiny change' to a brochure design. Started with a color swap, then font changes, then rearranging whole sections. After 9 rounds I finally asked what their budget was for revisions - they said they thought 'unlimited' meant free forever. Had to send a polite email saying my initial quote covered 3 rounds max. Anyone else run into people who think 'minor tweaks' means endless free work?

3 comments

3 Comments

casey3421d ago

lmao y'all are missing the real trick here. It's not about contracts or power balance, it's about how you handle the convo when they say "one more tiny thing." You gotta act psyched about their idea and then casually mention "oh awesome, I'll add that to round 10 since you already used up your 3 free revisions." Frame it like you're doing them a favor by tracking it. They either back off real quick or they actually pay up. Had a client try this with a logo once and I just started keeping a public Google doc of every "tiny tweak" with timestamps. Suddenly they found the design perfect lol.

lisas782d ago

kinda sounds like you needed a better contract upfront honestly.

ray_burns2d ago

Right, but a "better contract" is WAY easier said than done. Most small time creators and freelancers are just happy to get ANY paid work, so they don't have a ton of leverage to demand better terms. The big companies KNOW this and use it against you. Plus, you can write the BEST contract in the world but if they hold all the money and you're scared of losing the gig, good luck enforcing it. That's the real problem nobody talks about enough - the power balance is completely broken.