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You Think Your Job Sucks? Then Take A Look At These 113 Real Conversations With Clients From Hell
Whether you work in design, art, web development, or any other creative field, you're bound to deal with at least one absolutely terrible client in your lifetime. Thankfully, however, a magical place exists where all of your frustrations can be vented anonymously and among people who know exactly what you're talking about - down to the last revision.
It's called Clients From Hell, and it's so discreet that even its founders and admins remain completely unknown to this day, which is great news for the hundreds upon thousands of creatives and freelancers who have used the site to share their stories since 2009. If you've ever dealt with a client straight from the fiery pits yourself, these harrowing accounts of trickery and insanity with first give you a chuckle, and then a long, slow shiver of dread. The user-submitted posts can even be sorted by 'client type,' ranging from 'deadbeat' to 'racist' to 'chaotic good.'
Scroll down to see some of our favorite Clients From Hell moments, and be sure to check out these illustrated quotes from people who expected artists to work for free, as well as 15 types of difficult clients and how to deal with them while you're at it.
More info: Clients From Hell, Twitter
This post may include affiliate links.
This is the most desperate way of talking your way out of a CONTRACT
I sometimes wonder what parallel universe some of these people must be from.
Ugh, in customer service we have a lot of cases like this "WHY DON'T YOU ANSWER ME?!" *the avalanche of spam messages was sent outside of working hours every 5 hours*. We are not a chatting service. And we are humans too, not NPCs programmed to answer any time you press the key.
Why don't these people understand they actually need to PAY for the service???
Tell them you accept either £20 per hour or £1 per minute for 60 minutes work ;)
That reminds me of a friend who had a flatmate who thought she had to pay only for the time she was physically in the room. One time she went away for two weeks and didn't understand why she had to pay for the whole month since she wasn't there...
I had that exact conversation when I was working at an IT department. More than once... We used to go on site for support... So many times people weren't happy.
"Why, of course it did! Legally, we can't discriminate against people named 'Bob'..."
I don't, absolutely don't know how an adult would actually believe that someone would do free work. But then, it's another level where they believe YOU pay to work for them...
My reply would have been: "I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with that word... is there another word you'd like to use that won't get you sued?"
He is probably used to being logged in his Google/Apple account everywhere and import all his bookmarks.
Okay that's just horrible. Have the agreement of the model himself first. The rest comes later.
I can understand that you can fool a teenager with $20 extra. ...Probably not a full-time freelancer
In all fairness, it can be very frustrating trying to use a technology you don't understand. At least he was honest about his lack of understanding, rude yes, but honest.
"Oh umm... How much is it in pigs? Oh, you don't accept pigs? Well... there must be another place that does that. What? No place does that? Well you guys suck. Oh, you WILL take pigs? Okay, will 1/2 pig do? You want the front? No way, your milk isn't even that good. You can take the back. Actually I'm a bit short on pork this time, put it on my card.
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Love tax free exchange economy. I would take the deal, but ask which parts of the meat.
there are places this works. i used to pay the doctor in goat milk and the dentist in landscaping but that is rare
I’ll trust a man with hands rough from hard work than a man who’s never had a speck of mud on his shoes.
My father was a panelbeater ( As in repairing cars bodywork by hand ) in a rural area. He often got paid in a combination of cash/cheque and a whole sheep or side of beef.
I HAD done websites for 10 liters of premium wine :D or for a pair of good boots (about 200$)
depending on whether the guy is offering to split the hog down the middle via spine or split it half way down and you get the choice of rump or head.....gotta say I would take the second coice and go with the rump end. Make some MEAN BBQ with some fresh pig rump (which for those who don't know IS the actual meat used in GREAT BBQ.)
If they can somehow send food through inboxes, I would like to order a Double Whooper.
Well... Extra points for asking a straightforward honest answer, I guess?
Bill him hourly for the time you will be spending on creating a time machine ;)
Okay, fair play. The moment someone send you a photo with him and a crack cocaine pot, you can pretty much expect all kinds of answers.
Horrible client, but make sure the contract has everything perfectly written out. That way they can't rat out of something.
Lmao... The fact that most of the 4GB was already used is hilarious!
The client could possibly be biased from hearing about (unwanted) internet traffic making sites slower. Might have been avoided by saying "customers" instead of "traffic". Technological terms are rarely the clients' strong side.
My customer support colleagues and I used to joke about all kinds of flat stuff (pizza etc.) we would love to be able to fax to each other. Then again, we knew we were joking. :-O
I would definitely not want to be one of "them" with their racist attitude.
I first read this as "Don't go all unicorn on me!" and it made about as much sense.
Looks like a straight-forward request to me. The only "challenge" would be updating the website, which would need to be the complete site on CDs as well, discarding the old CDs.
We have a racially diverse customer base but apparently not a racially diverse workforce. I guess they forgot to ask their token African American emplyee. *rolls eyes*
...and we need the instructions for the product we haven't made yet.
When I think of the complexity and intricacy of Chinese characters, that comment is extremely funny.
I hate these multiple pages posts that rearrange according to votes. Never know if I saw everything, because it messes it all up when I skip to next page.
I'm just here to tell you that your name is very... MYTH-terious! (OwO)
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I have been working for 12 years at an internet services company doing pretty much all that is described in those posts (website designing, image retouche, hosting support, etc). I can relate to each one of them, I stopped reading on page 5 because I was going to punch my monitor. This job can drive you crazy, literally...
Exactly. They expect to be paid for their work, but cannot believe you have the audacity to expect the same.
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I get so mad at these, I can't finish the post. I've been a freelancer and lost thousands fo Euros due to 'bankruptcies' (after which the company miraculously resurfaced) and it created so many problem for me. I hope these selfish thieves get what they deserve.
Somehow one of those "people" got into the presidency in the U.S.
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perfect examples of why I don't do graphic design anymore. This stupidity and cheapness was (is) debilitating. My face always used to hurt from the constant face palms
This is awful. These people aren't just stupid but often immoral. They lie and cheat and think they should get something for free--and be grateful for it. People can live on free
And this is why when people say I should work with computers I say no. My god, the racism and sexism and downright stupidity in these posts is unbelievable. I understand if someone is confused by the tech side of it but when they arrogantly think that they are right and you are wrong is ridiculous and wastes way too much time.
Today I have learned that I could never be a graphic designer because I would say some pretty awful things to most of these clients that would probably lead me to be fired. On the plus side, other designers would think it an amazing site to behold. Totally worth it.
Damn some of these people need to get their heads checked. Or just get smacked in the head. Why would you even think all that work would be for free or that it's ok not to pay people for their services. And why be so rude... or stupid...
And some actually run their own business... Just how???
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I worked tech support for a restaurant reservation software company. We get a restaurant call us because their system wouldn't connect to the internet. They try to talk them through power cycling..he refuses to comply and demand we send a tech out. We told him that his contract clearly stated that his internet issues were not something we covered. As a courtesy to the owner of the chain we decided to help him test something simple. Next day, different person. They want a technician out ASAP. We tell them no and tell them to power cycle and offer to walk them through it. They refuse.....Next Day, Different person...same scenario. We copy the names of everyone we had spoken with. Last day, Gordon Ramsey calls. He asks why his s**t wasn't working. We explain what needs to happen. He cycles the router and modem. Comes back on line. Asks for the people we spoke with. Fires them all loudly with us still on the line. Thanks us. Hangs up....One of the best.
I build custom computers for people on both the personal and professional level. I built this guy a pretty impressive, liquid cooled, gaming rig. I get paid, help him get everything connected, and go home. I get a phone call late that night... "Help my PC is smoking and won't turn back on!" I get over to his place, sure enough... it won't turn on. I ask what happened. And this is the conversation. Guy: The case felt hot to the touch, so I poured a bottle of water into the liquid intake port on top of the tower. Me: What intake port? *guy points to hole in top of tower* Me: You mean the power supply exhaust fan? Guy: Oh, so can you fix it? I take the tower apart, and sure enough, he fried EVERYTHING. His gaming SSD was the only survivor. The guy asked me to replace all the parts (out of my own pocket) and spend another week (this is a side job) putting this new one together... for free. Me: I'm sorry, my warranty does not cover stupid.
So, you are, of course, paying the Clients From Hell site/account for all this content of theirs on your site?
#98 spoke to me as a VO artist. I came ever so close to calling a German client a "Grammar Nazi" (It was meant to be a compliment!).
Thats why I gave up being a Graphic Designer. I had this kind of dialogues 3 times a week minimum.
I had a client once who wanted me to draw a religious/political cartoon for his website, but he didn't know what he wanted yet; he wanted to chat with me to get the ideas flowing. After three meetings with him, he STILL wasn't sure about what he wanted exactly and kept changing the theme of the cartoon and told me to "just come up with something". After changing the cartoon three times, he got really upset when I told him I won't be working on the cartoon any longer until he could tell me what the exact outcome would be. Oh, the payment for this work would've been a photographic course offered by himself. I didn't own a camera that would be appropriate for that course.
I have a redemption story -- I'd done a logo for a small brunch place. Life got busy and it took a full month for me to get it to them, so as an apology I knocked money off the price. Life got busy again, and it took another month for the client to pay me, so she gave me the original amount as her own version of sorry :)
An office I worked in decided the best way to send information to another office, which we have fibreoptic connection with, was to print off about 40 reams (20,000) of customers files held on a harddrive & courier them daily. We even had a shared harddrive with that office, but no, print 100,000 pages a week & send them. Oh, they had to send them back as well, when they had worked on them.
I can promise that at least 3/4 of these are fake. They're most likely what the people WISH was said as opposed to what was actually said.
after readign this i am SOOO glad the economy tanked and there were no graphic arts jobs when i graduated college
Client..I would like these wooden plaques making and I will pay x amount and I need them the day after tomorrow. Me......Good Luck!
This list is dangerous. I almost face palmed myself to death while reading it
Actually the 4.15gb - 4.7gb guy one... the client is right. 4.15 is short for 4.150, and 4.7 is short for 4.700. All values after the decimal in a Gb number have 3 numbers. If it's less than 100 Mb, obviously the zero's are at the front of the number (075 for example), but if the number is over 100 then the zeros at the end are dropped and it's assumed that you should just know that a 7 or a 9 stands for 700 and 900 respectively.
I've done some web design as a "Moonlighting" gig and the one thing you really have to watch out for is client "scope creep". "Hey, can you add this?", during the time you are working to give them what they originally asked for. Say yes to much and you can find yourself doing twice the work, for the same money. Clients rarely want to compensate you for the extras. Don't be too nice about saying sure, but that will be extra $$.
Always make a list of what client wants in the website and stick to that. If there is time left or you are feeling kind do the changes. But the job is done when you have fullfilled what you first agreed on.
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Client: Your art is great can you do a logo for my band? Me: Sure it will be X amount Client: Why do you charge so much. Art is easy. You should do it free for the exposure.
This is all just copied and pasted from Clients From Hell (https://clientsfromhell.net/). Why not go to the actual site these came from instead of giving the traffic to a website that's just copying all their content. https://clientsfromhell.net/
I think I just lost a few years of my life reading these xD and I probably lost faith with humanity hahah
Dealing with clients can be tough but that's part of the job description.
Customer: I want to drive that used Lexus Me: great. Her: my purchase frame is a year from now. Me: you know that won't be there in a year, right? Why would you want to drive something you're not looking to buy? Her: yeah, but this helps with my starting point Me: ???? Rather than continue down these roads, just took a quick test drive (if someone is speeding you into a TD and takes a short route, it's because they want you gone. They'll hit you hard on purchasing now, and, if you say no, then there's no prob moving you on, because you aren't making them money). Found out she did the same thing to another rep previous week.
I hate these multiple pages posts that rearrange according to votes. Never know if I saw everything, because it messes it all up when I skip to next page.
I'm just here to tell you that your name is very... MYTH-terious! (OwO)
Load More Replies... I have been working for 12 years at an internet services company doing pretty much all that is described in those posts (website designing, image retouche, hosting support, etc). I can relate to each one of them, I stopped reading on page 5 because I was going to punch my monitor. This job can drive you crazy, literally...
Exactly. They expect to be paid for their work, but cannot believe you have the audacity to expect the same.
Load More Replies... I get so mad at these, I can't finish the post. I've been a freelancer and lost thousands fo Euros due to 'bankruptcies' (after which the company miraculously resurfaced) and it created so many problem for me. I hope these selfish thieves get what they deserve.
Somehow one of those "people" got into the presidency in the U.S.
Load More Replies... perfect examples of why I don't do graphic design anymore. This stupidity and cheapness was (is) debilitating. My face always used to hurt from the constant face palms
This is awful. These people aren't just stupid but often immoral. They lie and cheat and think they should get something for free--and be grateful for it. People can live on free
And this is why when people say I should work with computers I say no. My god, the racism and sexism and downright stupidity in these posts is unbelievable. I understand if someone is confused by the tech side of it but when they arrogantly think that they are right and you are wrong is ridiculous and wastes way too much time.
Today I have learned that I could never be a graphic designer because I would say some pretty awful things to most of these clients that would probably lead me to be fired. On the plus side, other designers would think it an amazing site to behold. Totally worth it.
Damn some of these people need to get their heads checked. Or just get smacked in the head. Why would you even think all that work would be for free or that it's ok not to pay people for their services. And why be so rude... or stupid...
And some actually run their own business... Just how???
Load More Replies... I worked tech support for a restaurant reservation software company. We get a restaurant call us because their system wouldn't connect to the internet. They try to talk them through power cycling..he refuses to comply and demand we send a tech out. We told him that his contract clearly stated that his internet issues were not something we covered. As a courtesy to the owner of the chain we decided to help him test something simple. Next day, different person. They want a technician out ASAP. We tell them no and tell them to power cycle and offer to walk them through it. They refuse.....Next Day, Different person...same scenario. We copy the names of everyone we had spoken with. Last day, Gordon Ramsey calls. He asks why his s**t wasn't working. We explain what needs to happen. He cycles the router and modem. Comes back on line. Asks for the people we spoke with. Fires them all loudly with us still on the line. Thanks us. Hangs up....One of the best.
I build custom computers for people on both the personal and professional level. I built this guy a pretty impressive, liquid cooled, gaming rig. I get paid, help him get everything connected, and go home. I get a phone call late that night... "Help my PC is smoking and won't turn back on!" I get over to his place, sure enough... it won't turn on. I ask what happened. And this is the conversation. Guy: The case felt hot to the touch, so I poured a bottle of water into the liquid intake port on top of the tower. Me: What intake port? *guy points to hole in top of tower* Me: You mean the power supply exhaust fan? Guy: Oh, so can you fix it? I take the tower apart, and sure enough, he fried EVERYTHING. His gaming SSD was the only survivor. The guy asked me to replace all the parts (out of my own pocket) and spend another week (this is a side job) putting this new one together... for free. Me: I'm sorry, my warranty does not cover stupid.
So, you are, of course, paying the Clients From Hell site/account for all this content of theirs on your site?
#98 spoke to me as a VO artist. I came ever so close to calling a German client a "Grammar Nazi" (It was meant to be a compliment!).
Thats why I gave up being a Graphic Designer. I had this kind of dialogues 3 times a week minimum.
I had a client once who wanted me to draw a religious/political cartoon for his website, but he didn't know what he wanted yet; he wanted to chat with me to get the ideas flowing. After three meetings with him, he STILL wasn't sure about what he wanted exactly and kept changing the theme of the cartoon and told me to "just come up with something". After changing the cartoon three times, he got really upset when I told him I won't be working on the cartoon any longer until he could tell me what the exact outcome would be. Oh, the payment for this work would've been a photographic course offered by himself. I didn't own a camera that would be appropriate for that course.
I have a redemption story -- I'd done a logo for a small brunch place. Life got busy and it took a full month for me to get it to them, so as an apology I knocked money off the price. Life got busy again, and it took another month for the client to pay me, so she gave me the original amount as her own version of sorry :)
An office I worked in decided the best way to send information to another office, which we have fibreoptic connection with, was to print off about 40 reams (20,000) of customers files held on a harddrive & courier them daily. We even had a shared harddrive with that office, but no, print 100,000 pages a week & send them. Oh, they had to send them back as well, when they had worked on them.
I can promise that at least 3/4 of these are fake. They're most likely what the people WISH was said as opposed to what was actually said.
after readign this i am SOOO glad the economy tanked and there were no graphic arts jobs when i graduated college
Client..I would like these wooden plaques making and I will pay x amount and I need them the day after tomorrow. Me......Good Luck!
This list is dangerous. I almost face palmed myself to death while reading it
Actually the 4.15gb - 4.7gb guy one... the client is right. 4.15 is short for 4.150, and 4.7 is short for 4.700. All values after the decimal in a Gb number have 3 numbers. If it's less than 100 Mb, obviously the zero's are at the front of the number (075 for example), but if the number is over 100 then the zeros at the end are dropped and it's assumed that you should just know that a 7 or a 9 stands for 700 and 900 respectively.
I've done some web design as a "Moonlighting" gig and the one thing you really have to watch out for is client "scope creep". "Hey, can you add this?", during the time you are working to give them what they originally asked for. Say yes to much and you can find yourself doing twice the work, for the same money. Clients rarely want to compensate you for the extras. Don't be too nice about saying sure, but that will be extra $$.
Always make a list of what client wants in the website and stick to that. If there is time left or you are feeling kind do the changes. But the job is done when you have fullfilled what you first agreed on.
Load More Replies... Client: Your art is great can you do a logo for my band? Me: Sure it will be X amount Client: Why do you charge so much. Art is easy. You should do it free for the exposure.
This is all just copied and pasted from Clients From Hell (https://clientsfromhell.net/). Why not go to the actual site these came from instead of giving the traffic to a website that's just copying all their content. https://clientsfromhell.net/
I think I just lost a few years of my life reading these xD and I probably lost faith with humanity hahah
Dealing with clients can be tough but that's part of the job description.
Customer: I want to drive that used Lexus Me: great. Her: my purchase frame is a year from now. Me: you know that won't be there in a year, right? Why would you want to drive something you're not looking to buy? Her: yeah, but this helps with my starting point Me: ???? Rather than continue down these roads, just took a quick test drive (if someone is speeding you into a TD and takes a short route, it's because they want you gone. They'll hit you hard on purchasing now, and, if you say no, then there's no prob moving you on, because you aren't making them money). Found out she did the same thing to another rep previous week.
