Had to choose between a scope document and a quick verbal go-ahead last week

I was working with a small business owner in Austin who wanted me to redo their website. They kept saying 'just start, I'll know what I want when I see it.' I had to decide between writing up a detailed scope of work first or just jumping in based on our quick chat. I went with the scope document even though it took me 2 hours to write. Turned out they wanted completely different colors and layout than what I assumed. That document saved me from redoing 3 pages and charging them for extra hours. They actually thanked me for being clear about what was included. Has anyone else dealt with a client who insists on skipping the planning phase?

3 comments

3 Comments

danielowens16d ago

Oh man, scope documents feel like a waste until they actually save you. Reminds me of this time I hired a guy to paint my fence and he kept asking 'what shade of brown' and I was like dude just do it, you're the painter. He made me sign this paper listing like 12 things he was and wasnt doing. Good thing too because my wife came home and wanted it gray. That paper kept me from an argument because he could just point to it and say 'you agreed to brown.' Funny how a boring piece of paper can be the thing that keeps everyone from getting mad later.

ryan_hart3816d ago

Totally get what you're saying @danielowens, that fence story is a dead ringer for how I've seen scope creep wreck things. It's funny how we all think we can just wing it until someone's wife wants gray instead of brown, right? That's the thing about setting boundaries upfront, nobody wants to be the bad guy but that piece of paper does the dirty work for you. I've had plenty of projects where we started with a simple idea and by the end it was this bloated mess because nobody wrote down what the original plan was. Saves everyone from blaming each other later when you can just look back at the paper.

patricia_hill6016d ago

Hard to argue with a signed paper, saves your hide every time.