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We all have bills to pay.
As freelancers, this means we’d have to keep winning regular projects. With lots of competition online, it’s tempting to accept any offer that comes our way.
But no matter what, there are certain clients that are just not worth our time and stress.
They might seem like sparks of hope… those long-awaited answer to our prayers…
But believe me, we're better off without these 5 TOXIC Clients who will drain our energies, skills, and career growth:
They’re the ones who write extensive job posts that sound like “I’m looking for the best value freelancers.”
Best value, in Cheapskatish dialect, means ‘lowest rates.’
They’re completely clueless about value so no matter how good your work is, they will never notice.
Regardless of how much hours you put in, they will refuse to pay you extra. Because they believe that they’re already paying you more than your country’s ‘cost of living’.
Cheapskates are not only stingy, they can also be very demanding. They write lengthy and vague job posts so they can keep adding more tasks, without paying more.
How to spot them:
It’s easy to spot the Cheapskates early.
When you see LONG job descriptions, with different ‘specializations’ listed as tasks, stop and check the budget posted.
Here’s an example:
It's less than $1000/month for such a multi-specialty role. Classic cheapskate move.
Even if you’re after the learning experience (or your first ever 5-star feedback), stay away from cheap clients. They will not only hurt your progress, working with them will hurt the freelance industry too.
Micromanagers are notorious for their severe trust issues and perfectionism.
They think that they are the best persons to do everything, including YOUR job. Even though they’ve hired you as a team member, they cannot delegate tasks entirely. That’s why these difficult clients check on you constantly.
For the process to improve, they think that you must adjust to their standards.
They’re not necessarily bad - they're just very anxious leaders. They may be new to the business and do not realize that their behavior is harming their team’s self-esteem.
How to spot them:
What's tricky about micromanagers is that you’ll only recognize them once you’re already in their team.
Empathizing with them and politely communicating your concerns might still help IF you’re willing to stay in the relationship. (But only if you have a strong sense of self, please.)
Otherwise, let go!
These clients come from another realm and have distorted views on time & reality.
They have high expectations that are impossible to be met by mere human beings. For what it's worth, some might just be unaware of actual processes.
But most Delusional clients are relatives of the Cheapskates. They usually share the same traits, so be very careful.
How to spot them:
Or think that your graphic designs come with unlimited revisions (including when they change their minds)...
Or grow their sales/ site ranking/ number of followers, and so on IMMEDIATELY...
To avoid them, you’ll have to be upfront and set clear expectations even BEFORE accepting any job offer. Be direct and ask essential questions about work hours, turnaround times, number of revisions, etc.
Make sure that you agree to all terms 'coz if you don’t, it's hard to get away without receiving 1-star ratings from these clients.
These are clients who are in the ‘fake’ business. Staying away from them is more of a moral issue than anything else.
As digital workers who thrive in the digital world, it's our responsibility to keep it unspoiled.
Holding on to our integrity as freelancers, we should never work with anyone who plays dirty. Or support any product that hurts creative companies and real-value products.
How to spot them:
From the job post or during interviews, if the tasks deal with piracy or anything fake, STAY AWAY.
Common examples are:
Let's use our freelancer freedom to promote what's right and ethical.
The thing with these ‘clients’ is that they are NOT really clients. They pretend to be ‘potential clients,’ but that's about it.
They could hurt you badly by stealing your identity, getting your money, or taking free work, so be extra VIGILANT against them.
How to spot them:
If they want the samples customized for their company, say that you'd be happy to do it for a fixed price. If they insist on getting it for free, walk away.
Don’t even try giving them a chance thinking, “Baka kapag nagbigay ako, magkakatrabaho na ako.”
Nope! They will disappear on you, as soon as they’ve gotten what they want. RUN and don’t look back.
As awesome as the online world is, it is far from perfect. Freelancers must remain alert and watch each others' backs.
Never give anyone the opportunity to take advantage of you, just because you need freelancing gigs. Stand up for yourself and refuse to be a victim.
On the other hand, if you've had bad experiences from a client, don't get discouraged. Learn from it and move on to finding your ideal client, there are lots of great ones around. 😉
If you're currently dealing with a toxic client and need to vent out, feel free to do so in the comments below. We might be able to help you out.
Or if you've previously fled from one, I'd appreciate it if you could also share how you did so we can learn from you too! 🙂
See you around! Stay strong, FLIPpers!
This is very helpful. It supports my decision of leaving my client soon, she falls on The Cheapskates and its relative The Delusional (a bit). I just enrolled in Bootcamp, reviewing some courses and editing my Upwork and portfolio's, I wish I had a lot of time to work on these faster. My target to meet my ideal client is next month. Thank you Holly! God bless! 🙂