November 15, 2005

Communication

This is another pain-in-the-neck client peeve.

This particular client is one for whom I have designed a couple of CD covers (though the first one was done with his art work so I don't generally claim it). At some point in the past year I fired him because he was too hard to communicate with; no feedback, no direction, no input..... I told him he should just use his buddy, 'Bob', a graphic designer - he said that wasn't a direction he wanted to go. Whatever.

Since then, he needed some work done and I needed some money so I started working with him again.


He has a new CD coming out and I mentioned a couple of ideas to him, which he said sounded interesting and that he would like to see them. Cool, I put them together and sent them over. I got very little feedback, but got the impression he wanted some other options, so I put them together.

He then called and said he thought that 'Bob' was putting together some ideas for him. I asked if he was going to go with Bob on this one and he said he didn't know, he was still looking at ideas. I asked him several times, "Did you already give this project to Bob?" "Is Bob under the impression he is doing this project?", etc. I told him that would be fine with me, but to let me know so I didn't waste my time. He said no decision had been made - and he sent me the first design Bob had done.

So I did several more versions, emailed 'em over, got (very little) feedback, made alterations, sent him the updates.....

Then he sent me Bob's latest version, which he is using. It was THE SAME ONE. He is using the very first idea that he got (OK, it is slightly less yellow, the first one made him look like that character in Sin City). He finally admitted he ALWAYS PLANNED ON GOING WITH BOB. But he didn't bother to tell me - cause he was being a j***a**!

I called him tonight and gave him some "other suggestions" - including (but not limited to) what he could have said to me:

  • "You just don't have a clue what I am looking for so I am using someone else."
  • "The other CD's you did for me really suck and my friends all laugh at them so I am using someone else"
    or
  • "I appreciate your enthusiasm for this project, but when you quit I got the impression you didn't want to work on my major projects anymore and I have already committed to someone else for this one. In the future I'll check to see if you have any interest before making that decision."
So many things he could have said to keep me from wasting my time and energy. He may have been trying to spare my feelings, but it is only worse now after spending several days creating several options and having them all rejected out of hand. I would rather have just known at the outset.

At least this way I get to charge him - and my rates have just gone up.

Posted by Vox at November 15, 2005 11:54 PM | peeves
Comments

I can certainly understand that. I appreciate a solid "no" a whole lot more than a "i guess so maybe I dunno."

Posted by: Michael at November 16, 2005 07:27 AM

Sorry for the waste of your time--don't we hate those learning experiences?

Posted by: Mom at November 16, 2005 01:29 PM