I just turned down work for the first time :/

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dlitc78

Free Member
Jul 11, 2010
63
7
  • #1
    It feels pretty weird. It was a BIG order for some work of a type we used to do, but have since found impossible to manage really. It would have been worth about a month's total income (i.e. doubling September's earnings) but would have been extremely difficult to manage and there'd be a real risk that we just wouldn't finish in the time frame allowed.

    It was work we used to advertise and call people up about in kind of Jan/Feb of this year, but stopped doing as we realised it wasn't viable and we weren't set up to handle it to a standard I was happy with. This is a prospect from back then who has finally called back, haha.

    I kind of deliberated on the phone and wasn't quick and "YES, WE CAN DO THAT!", and they felt that uncertainty. The boss rang me back a minute later to say they'll go with someone else, and I didn't argue.

    I just e-mailed them back, after our phone call, to offer my personal time today to help with one aspect of it that would otherwise trouble them - I do hope they accept that. Free of charge, of course. Otherwise we'll be left with some significant "bad will" from quite a strong company.

    I'm pretty relieved that over the next few days I'm still going to have time to eat and sleep, but at the same time it feels like a shame, y'know?
     
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    Bri

  • #2
    Good descision, business is all about weighing up and customer satisfaction. Companies can tend to say yes without planning the existing workload and keeping existing customers happy. I'm sure you will gain brownie points from this person for being upfront and honest, shame you couldnt recommend someone you had trust in which may have gone for more brownie points.
     
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    dlitc78

    Free Member
    Jul 11, 2010
    63
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  • #4
    Bri said:
    Good descision, business is all about weighing up and customer satisfaction. Companies can tend to say yes without planning the existing workload and keeping existing customers happy. I'm sure you will gain brownie points from this person for being upfront and honest, shame you couldnt recommend someone you had trust in which may have gone for more brownie points.
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    There's only one or two other companies around who do it, and they were already working with them before so I had no one else to recommend.

    If I had been more direct from the start they might have respected that, but, though I know I haven't lost them any time, it kind of feels like I messed them around a bit. I'm just an indecisive person, that's a problem of mine in business. It was partly their fault, mind you, since they couldn't give me enough info about the job for me to say yes or no, so I had to just say maybe, which then of course wasn't good enough.
     
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    Astaroth

    Free Member
    Aug 24, 2005
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    London
  • #5
    Sounds like you are half of the way there by not saying yes to anything but not quite there with actually saying no.

    No is at times the correct answer in business, customers expectations can be unrealistic, you may not have capacity to take something on, it may be outside of your areas of expertise etc etc. The more your business relies on reputation the more important it is to ensure you only take on the right work.

    As bespoke developers we get a lot of queries from people wanting to create an eBay killer etc, whilst I have no concerns of our abilities to meet our clients programming requirements if the business venture itself is doomed to fail we will reject the project because we will always be partially associated with its failure even though our part may have been exceptionally delivered.
     
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    I Love Spreadsheets

  • #6
    I once turned down a job because the client would talk for hours and tell you nothing. The first job I did for him was a 1 hour job but it took a further 2 hours to get the information out of him. When he came to me with 40 hours work I just had to turn it down because I knew I would end up spending more that on the phone to him. I could have charged him double or treble to cover my time but that would have priced me out of the job.
     
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    Ernest Andy

  • #7
    It's a pity there are only 2 other companies around that could do it, because I was going to suggest setting up a system whereby you get commission for giving the work to another company. That way you make money without really doing anything at all.;)
     
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    Bri

  • #9
    If I had been more direct from the start they might have respected that, but, though I know I haven't lost them any time, it kind of feels like I messed them around a bit.
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    Dont agree with that statement, you gave a maybe, it doesnt take long to reply with Ive spoken to my projects dept and we have decided that we could not do your order justice as we have a line up of projects to complete in 'x' timeframe, however if you are willing to wait until 'y' we will give it our fullest attention and priority.
     
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    bdw

  • #10
    You did the right thing.

    Since my website generates as much work as I need I reject work on a regular basis. I believe that I get a lot of work based on the good testimonials we have received. I want that to continue and I offer a satisfaction guarantee (final invoice not payable until client is satisifed).

    If there is any doubt about our capability logistically or technically to complete a job on schedule and to the required standard we will reject it. I don't think there is anything wrong with that and I have not had any bad feedback from enquirers for doing this. I always explain the reasons why we cannot take the work on and they quite often thank me for being upfront about this.
     
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    Ernest Andy

  • #11
    Every time I read this thread I can't help thinking that some of you are missing a trick here. If you have more work than you can handle why don't you send the work you don't really want to other people on a commission basis, acting as an agency, and get some extra revenue without doing any extra work?

    Isn't this where the smart money is?
     
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    bdw

  • #12
    The reason I do not do this is that it presents its own set of problems that I do not need. Suitable companies have to be found and referrals have to be controlled. This takes more time and effort, which is the last thing you need when you are busy. ;)
     
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    David Earle

  • #13
    I used to have a shop that did t-shirt printing but also we outsourced the printing of business cards, flyers, and web design as well. It meant there were loads of projects to manage and keep an eye on, and inevitably the quality suffered. So in my two current shops, we just do garment printing and nothing else. I've chosen to specialise and it's working well. I sometimes get asked if I do business cards, flyers etc and I always say no. I can do it, but I won't.

    Works for me, anyway. Means we can turn around orders quicker!
     
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    Bri

  • #14
    exactly, you have to have full trust in subbing the work out. No one will do it the same way you do and you still have the headache of dotting the 'i's and crossing the't's and making sure the work is completed by due deadline.

    Theres a thread on here somewhere, I'm too lazy to search it, the printing work was subbed out and no proofing was obviously done and all hell broke loose with the client and payment.
     
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    Ernest Andy

  • #15
    But why not just send them to another company, who takes full responsibility for all work and invoicing etc, and when payment is made to them, the company sends you the agreed % for sending the client, happy to have the extra work. No hassle or responsibility, just some nice easy money. Well, this is what I was getting at anyway. Perhaps these types of arrangement are industry specific.
     
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    dlitc78

    Free Member
    Jul 11, 2010
    63
    7
  • #17
    Bri said:
    Ernest or Andy, the OP did offer that earlier on but there was a complication.To offer it to another company you still have to trust what they do without teaching you to breathe in dairy whites it could have a negative impact on your own biz as well.
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    The reason I didn't/couldn't send them to another company is that the only other company around here who could help them they already knew about and were going to use anyway.

    In other situations I always try to send clients elsewhere, and I also make sure to tell people who sent me if I myself am recommended to try another company for something or other. Good will like that goes a long way.
     
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