Hot take: the "worst client ever" story that actually turned out fine

Everyone loves a horror story. But I had a client last summer who everyone would call a nightmare. She changed the scope three times, asked for 7 rounds of edits, and paid two weeks late every time. Here's the thing though. I made more money off her than any other client that quarter. The late fees added up to $150 extra. The scope changes meant she paid new project rates each time. So yeah, annoying to deal with. But my bank account didn't mind. Has anyone else had a "bad" client that was actually profitable?

4 comments

4 Comments

oliver_baker497d agoTop Commenter

Did your friend actually end up keeping her as a repeat client? I had a buddy who dealt with the same thing, a difficult client who paid late but paid well, and he kept going back until they ghosted him on a big project.

the_elizabeth3d ago

Late fees aren't profit when they wreck your peace of mind.

carr.luna7d ago

Yeah the 'paid well' part would've had me fooled too honestly. That whole story kind of changed my mind about just putting up with late payments if the money is good enough.

dakota_miller933d ago

Late fees don't make up for the stress, and scope changes that keep moving don't make up for the time you could have spent on easier work. A client who pays late every time is just training you to accept bad payment habits, which can hurt you worse down the road when a bigger project comes along. Chasing that money on a regular basis wears you out way more than the extra cash is worth.

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