
Ask HN: Patterns for handling stable but problematic client(s) - prmph
So one of my clients (for software development services) is a small agency that resells my services to another company in the insurance industry. Every now and then the owner indicates the her clients complain about the high amounts billed. Somehow I found out she makes about 66% on every hour I bill, and in any case my hourly rate is just average, so what I actually get is rather below industry average.<p>I am in a position to demand a much higher rate (or move to per-feature, as opposed to hourly, billing) and walk away if she can&#x27;t meet my demands, but she has been a very reliable client for years, a hedge against the occasional proverbial freelancer famine.<p>The main issue as I see it that the ultimate client (the insurance company) does not really appreciate the value of the development services provided (think &quot;software is an expense&quot;; &quot;we can always hire another dev from oDesk&#x2F;India&quot;, etc., etc.)<p>Should I:
(1) Try to educate the agency and client, 
(2) Demand a higher rate or move to another billing model, or
(3) Just cut them loose and focus on other higher-value clients?<p>I suspect such issues are par the course for freelance&#x2F;contract work, but what patterns of dealing with them have you found to be effective?
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franze
Go for the invisible hand: Raise your prices! Don't compromise. See what
happens. Either you get more money, or you get more time that you can invest
in another way. Both ways you win!

