

Ask HN : When the client asks "one more little thing..." - dan_sim

We do consulting on the side to make a living while we build our startup. What do you do when a client asks you "There's one more little thing I would like to have..."? You know that it would take you maybe 5 minutes and makes the client happy but he just keeps coming with more.<p>I don't want to know what _should I do_ but what _do you do_.
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byoung2
For web design, I usually do this:

Let's say the site design has been approved, and the buildout is underway, and
the client says: "Oh yeah I want to add a blog!" I'll tell the client: "Not a
problem...once the site is built out to the specifications in the original
contract, we can give you a custom quote for the blog."

I can add a Wordpress blog in 5 minutes, and adapt the existing design into a
custom theme in about 10 minutes, but the client doesn't need to know that.
Putting the additional tasks in a quote with a value attached to it not only
cuts down on the number of additional requests, it helps the client realize
the value of your time and effort.

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mark_l_watson
You may be over generalizing. I think that it depends a lot on the client.

For clients who often try to get more work for their money, I agree. Good
clients will offer a little more money for small change orders.

And, all that said, this is why I most enjoy working on a time and materials
basis.

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omgsean
If it's truly a really small thing, I just do it. Otherwise, "that's outside
the scope of the original estimate, we can do it for ______ on top of the
original agreed amount."

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mbrubeck
When I worked in a web design agency, we offered a subscription model where
clients paid a yearly or monthly rate to get, say, 2-5 hours per month of
minor updates and maintenance work. It was a nice source of recurring revenue
for us, and seemed to work well for our clients too.

