I was making a website for a small computer repair business. One day the client came in and asked me to start designing several mock-ups for the business’ website. I explained that I don’t do mock-ups; instead I do working prototypes which take longer to make, but speed up the overall process because I have the basic code written can fine tune the site until it’s ready for publishing without having to do too much extra.

I also stressed a distinct lack of Photoshop skills which would prevent me from quickly doing anything aside from quick edits and touch-ups, which they didn’t hire me for.

Client: So, when are you going to finish those mock-ups?

Me: I’ve got two of the three prototypes…

Client: (Rather sternly) I said I wanted mock-ups.

Me: We discussed this earlier – I do working prototypes to speed up the end process.

Client: (getting steamed) Look, I hired you to do what I said when I said the way I said, if you can’t do that, then I’ll outsource your job to an Indian company that I can pay $5 an hour.

Me: Obviously, that’s up to you, but there are some pretty major downsides to that approach.

Client: That’s it, you’re done. I won’t have you tell me what I can expect. I know what I’m doing and obviously you don’t.

Several weeks later I see the business’ new website, which looked like it was a copy and paste design for a restaurant and the site was incapable of handling several key features that I was asked to code.

As I needed some parts for my PC I went to their shop to find the boss on the phone with the sixteenth international marketing company asking him to sign up for their SEO plans. During that visit I learned from a new employee that the website had cost over ten times what I was going to be paid, and that it crashes every second day.

I didn’t stay long enough to speak with my former employer, but a week later I noticed a hastily built webpage loading up for them “Website under construction, please direct any enquiries to (XX) XXXX-XXXX during business hours.”

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Source: Clients from Hell