difficult-client, contractsI run a landscaping business, and have a client that needs way more hand holding than all the others. They want meeting after meeting and they call all the time. In essence they are getting a lot more of my time than they signed up for (and paid for).
The best I’ve been able to come up with is to explicitly state that the contract includes a certain number of client meetings, and that additional meetings can be arranged at my hourly billing rate. But I’d love to hear other options. What legal and ethical responsibilities do I have?
I would definitely suggest considering dropping the client altogether (just trying to plant the seed of thought if you haven’t already popped out of the rabbit hole).
In growing your business, you state
“they are getting a lot more of my time than they signed up for (and paid for).”
As others are discussing, there is a lot of talk about a contract. Everything about your question seems to fall back to the existence of this contract (by what you’ve stated using the words “signed up for” I’m assuming there is already some sort of contract in place. Thus, your legal commitments or responsibilities are likely outlined in any sort of contract you have.
As for ethics, I also want to suggest that you clearly communicate your concerns with your client. It is important to establish a good image in every business practice you do - it is very important long term to maintain positive relationships, as you never know who each of your clients is networked with (this pertains to lost – or potential – clientele in your imminent vicinity).
I’m just suggesting that you consider removing them as a client - it may hurt your business if you appear weak, but meanwhile you want to maintain a positive relationship. You obviously got into this deal because at some point you saw it to be advantageous, so my first suggestion would always be to try and repair it - however in this case it seems you aren’t happy with the situation, and that you’ve already gone through the ‘how to fix this client relationship’ stage.
Just make sure to differentiate your legal and ethical responsibilities. There may be a choice that is best to make ethically (or personally), but you may be bound in different verticals that you may not have as much control over.
Also, would love to enhance my answer if you were to share more (legally sharable) elements of your contract.
Your legal responsibilities will be outlined in the contract, if it’s an actual Contract you’ve both signed. As for ethical responsibilities, that’s a grey area and differs between individuals.
In my experience, clients generally fall into 3 distinct groups - most fit into the ‘average’ customer who agrees on the work they want and lets you get on with it with minimal further questioning. Then there’s the ‘time wasters’ who constantly ask for consultations or ring up, but are actually just picking your brains and don’t want to pay for anything. The third group are simply anxious about giving away control, wanting to pacify their own anxieties with constant questions and contact and ‘checking’ stuff, largely because they don’t have trust in you and probably anyone else. They’re the most difficult group, and sometimes, showing images of what things will look like, or photographs of other work you’ve done, or recommendations from other clients for whom you’ve worked will be enough to pacify them and build up trust. Otherwise, the only answer, if you’re trying to run a full time business and you need the work, is to make it clear that any further consultations, by phone, email or face to face, will be charged at whatever rate you feel is appropriate, as you seem to have already concluded. Or, if you have the luxury of plenty of other work, and any legal contract that’s been signed does not mention what further consults may cost, make the cost of your extra consultations unreasonably high, at which point they will hopefully decide to go elsewhere.
In the contract, clearly state that time covered by the agreement will be billed in 8-hour blocks, time & expensiveness related to attending the meeting will be billed, hours billed will be at double the hourly rate of the contracted hours, etc.
Point is that based on your question, this is not time you value, unless you need the client, you should make it as painful as possible for them to use your time.
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