Ryan, Thanks for the response (also, Nik, thanks for your reply)!
Looking into this situation after the fact I have found that many companies specifically state that their estimates are really just estimates. They are not basis for final billing unless they spend significant amount of time figuring out beforehand what exactly needs to be done to implement what the client has asked - and the time spent for analysis, obviously, is also billed for. Thus unless a project is very large, it's generally not worth client's while to have a binding estimate created as it consumes time that otherwise could already be used for developing the project. This brings up another point: *always* discuss the budget! In this ill-fated project the budget was not clearly communicated and I based the time available for development, and thus eventually for billing on the fact that the client expected a more or less finalized version in about three weeks. Only then did I discover it overran their budget about 100%. Had I known initially what their budget was for the project, or that they would consider reneging on the payment if they didn't receive a finalized product about two weeks prior to the final deadline, I would not have agreed to work on it. These all are points that I will in the future include in the initial discussion with a client when a new project is being started. I have asked for reasons for why it's not useable by them (perhaps I could've remedied the problem), but I have not received a response. My hunch is that they had planned to add in lots more features (which they never discussed with me), and likely the plan was to add them "by injection", i.e. not to pay extra for them. But it's "live and learn" :). This was a good learning experience even though it's unfortunate that a client relationship had to be destroyed in the process. Ville -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of ryanm Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 15:49 To: Flashcoders mailing list Subject: Re: [Flashcoders] Project feedback, anyone? > I worked on it and squeezed it out narrowly by the deadline they had set. > They were not happy at all. Supposedly the program is "not useable" by > them > (for reasons that haven't been explained to me, even though everything > that > was initially asked was implemented), and supposedly the code is "too > complicated" for another programmer to continue work on it. > I played with it, it seems to do what it is intended to do, so as long as what it does is what was defined in the spec, I don't see any problems. Being too complicated for their other Flash guy is not your problem, unless it was specifically mentioned in the specs that it should be done on the timeline so that their guy can take over. In my opinion, and I do enough freelance work to have experienced this a time or two myself, you need to invoice them and tell them that if they want further changes that it's a new project and will require a new quote. Tell them you can only make it do the things they want if thery can tell you what those things are, and you need to know *before* you start working on it in order to be able to deliver it on time and within the budget. Make them define "not usable" for you, and break it down to process flows that don't work. There is nothing wrong with the code that I could see. You delivered a product, and you should get paid on it before you do anything else with that client, IMO. If you value the client more than the cost of this one job, then you might want to do some additional work to make them happy, but keep in mind that once you set the precedent that you'll go above and beyond what you were paid for, they will expect it in the future. ryanm _______________________________________________ [email protected] To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com _______________________________________________ [email protected] To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com
