At 11:57 AM 8/17/98 -0800, you wrote:
>Seems to me that you'd be better off to cover payment in your contract.
Actually, we do specify such stuff in our contract. But it's amazing how
"accidents" can happen. Take my little startup. They were supposed to have
the deposit check at the first meeting. They didn't -- and for a good
reason. They tried to save a few bucks by buying a cheapo computer for
their accounting department. Guess which motherboard decided to hose itself
the morning before our meeting? My first thought was "how *conveeeeenient*
but since we just finished frying a motherboard ourselves the previous
weekend....well, needless to say, we cut them some slack. Just this once,
though.
You know, I have yet to have a single deadbeat client. I'm very *very* good
at getting payment out of folks. But I think the reason I'm so good at not
having deadbeats is because I'm totally paranoid and come up with ideas
like the Geocities "pay or no site" GIF idea. I haven't had to use any of
my tricks actually -- but I think clients just look in my eyes when I hand
them that invoice and see my Mother standing there, and decide not to tempt
fate.
>BTW, I went a step further recently with some clients who have a bad
>payment history with us. <snip> Finally, I answered their request simply by
>saying that I would drop off a print for their approval. I printed the
>banners on our color printer and took the print by their their office. They
>wrote a check for me while I was there, then I emailed the banners to them
>when I got home. Everyone was happy, and my approach created a minimum of
>ill will.
Good idea!
>Payment issues aside, I think you should have a permanent credit line.
Do you mean a "web site designed by" credit, or are you talking monetary
credit? My guess is the former....
The little startup that could wouldn't sign our contract unless we removed
the clause about having a credit/link off the home page. Pissed me off, but
the CFO/VP was pretty adamant -- it was obvious that if we argued, he'd
refuse to sign the contract and that missing check would never appear. And
since this happened at the *end* of the 3-hour creative meeting, we felt
stuck. So, from now on we aren't mentioning the credit line in the
contract, we're just putting it on the site. And no creative meeting until
the contract is signed. (We actually fought for that on this one, but Mr.
Stubborn kept putting off signing, and kept pushing for a meeting. Rock and
hard place, and I don't like being in a position like that. Needless to
say, if any of the other checks are even five minutes late, I'll turn into
my stubborn Irish Mom and become a burr in the guys side.)
--Tamra (half-MacGregor) Heathershaw-Hart
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Hart Consulting Web Studio http://www.hartcons.com/
Web Site Design, Production, Programming, & Promotion
650-967-6162 (phone) 1-800-749-8032 (fax)
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