Should I invoice client who jumps ship?

[bdw]

Last June I got an enquiry from someone about a website. We exchanged a couple of emails and I sent him some complimentary material explaining what he needed to do etc. He said he was very busy at that point (he is in a profession) and he would get back to me.

Last November he eventually sent me some content that he wanted to use on his site. It did not look right to me so I spent some time scanning sites for others in his business and made recommendations based on this. He was happy with this and asked me for a quote. I sent him his quote and he accepted it.

I was just about to go on holiday at this time so I told him it would have to wait until I got back. When I did get back I was very busy and it was in the lead up to the festive season. I told him that I would not be able to do it for three or four weeks and that he should not send the advance until then. This was a mistake as I later found out.

He agreed that this was OK and a month later, when I was ready to go I sent him an email. He didn't answer this but I started planning his site anyway. A few days later I emailed him again and he replied saying that he had got someone else to do the website for him as he thought I was too busy and not going to be available for some time.

Obviously I was a bit put out and I emailed him (politely) to express my disappointment. I also sent him a copy of his last email to me in which he had agreed to the delay. He has now got back to me saying that he appreciated what I had done for me and that if I sent him an invoice he would honour it.

I am a wee bit uncomfortable with this so my question is should I just put it down to experience or should I invoice him for the two or three hours I spent on it?

.

 

[Josh_Farmer]

Last June I got an enquiry from someone about a website. We exchanged a couple of emails and I sent him some complimentary material explaining what he needed to do etc. He said he was very busy at that point (he is in a profession) and he would get back to me.

Last November he eventually sent me some content that he wanted to use on his site. It did not look right to me so I spent some time scanning sites for others in his business and made recommendations based on this. He was happy with this and asked me for a quote. I sent him his quote and he accepted it.

I was just about to go on holiday at this time so I told him it would have to wait until I got back. When I did get back I was very busy and it was in the lead up to the festive season. I told him that I would not be able to do it for three or four weeks and that he should not send the advance until then. This was a mistake as I later found out.

He agreed that this was OK and a month later, when I was ready to go I sent him an email. He didn't answer this but I started planning his site anyway. A few days later I emailed him again and he replied saying that he had got someone else to do the website for him as he thought I was too busy and not going to be available for some time.

Obviously I was a bit put out and I emailed him (politely) to express my disappointment. I also sent him a copy of his last email to me in which he had agreed to the delay. He has now got back to me saying that he appreciated what I had done for me and that if I sent him an invoice he would honour it.

I am a wee bit uncomfortable with this so my question is should I just put it down to experience or should I invoice him for the two or three hours I spent on it?

.

Its a hard one to judge, if you believe he may use you in the future then, i would bite the bullet and not invoice him, however if you think he won't use you in the future, he has stated he is happy to be invoiced, therefore invoice him the smallest amount you possibly can.

If you have spend time on research ect. Then technically its billable

 

[smo]

Put it down to experience, there were delays on both sides and you never went ahead with any work other than planning for which you didnt get payment.

 

[bdw]

there were delays on both sides

Yes and they were agreed and accepted by both sides.


.

 

[smo]

Makes no odds, you didnt really do any invoicable work, he didnt pay - no one loses or gains.

He has made an offer of covering any costs you have incurred and you feel uncomfortable with invoicing him - the result is simple, chalk it up to experience and move on.

 

[Bob]

How much would you invoice him ?
Is he likely to use you or recommend you in the future ?
Would not sending the invoice create more goodwill / referrals for the future ?
Did you have a contract with him ? What did the terms and conditions say ?

 

[bdw]

Would not sending the invoice create more goodwill / referrals for the future ?
&
Is he likely to use you or recommend you in the future ?

He is obviously not going to recommend me in future since he chose to go elsewhere himself.

How much would you invoice him ?

I would probably invoice him for the two to three hours I spent on it.

Re T and Cs these do not apply in this case because no advance fee was paid.

.

 

[JamieM]

I think you should put it down to experience.

When he didn't reply to your email about getting started, I think to start work from there is done at your own risk.

If it was me, I wouldn't invoice him for it.

 

[kulture]

You feel uncomfortable sending an invoice, he probably feels uncomfortable not using you. I think you would be better off not invoicing and telling the client not to worry. You will get goodwill from this perhaps a recommendation from the guilty feeling client. This could be worth far more than a small invoice.

 

[bdw]

I think to start work from there is done at your own risk.

I did not spend a lot of time on it and I really had no reason at all to consider that I would not be doing the job. Our relationship until then had been really friendly and was quite enthusiastic about what I was offering.




.

 

[bdw]

I think you would be better off not invoicing and telling the client not to worry. You will get goodwill from this perhaps a recommendation from the guilty feeling client. This could be worth far more than a small invoice.

Yes, I am leaning more towards this now. What's a hundred quid to a man of my means anyway.

.

 

[arcon5]

With the greatest respect, I don't see why the client put you out, if anything you put him out. He wanted work then, but twice you told him he had to wait so he went elsewhere.

I would second #9. There's a chance you could gain some goodwill here so take it.

 

[Blood Lust]

Last June I got an enquiry from someone about a website. We exchanged a couple of emails and I sent him some complimentary material explaining what he needed to do etc. He said he was very busy at that point (he is in a profession) and he would get back to me.

Last November he eventually sent me some content that he wanted to use on his site. It did not look right to me so I spent some time scanning sites for others in his business and made recommendations based on this. He was happy with this and asked me for a quote. I sent him his quote and he accepted it.

I was just about to go on holiday at this time so I told him it would have to wait until I got back. When I did get back I was very busy and it was in the lead up to the festive season. I told him that I would not be able to do it for three or four weeks and that he should not send the advance until then. This was a mistake as I later found out.

He agreed that this was OK and a month later, when I was ready to go I sent him an email. He didn't answer this but I started planning his site anyway. A few days later I emailed him again and he replied saying that he had got someone else to do the website for him as he thought I was too busy and not going to be available for some time.

Obviously I was a bit put out and I emailed him (politely) to express my disappointment. I also sent him a copy of his last email to me in which he had agreed to the delay. He has now got back to me saying that he appreciated what I had done for me and that if I sent him an invoice he would honour it.

I am a wee bit uncomfortable with this so my question is should I just put it down to experience or should I invoice him for the two or three hours I spent on it?

.

Without a contract and without him having received the goods their isnt anything you can do to him legally.

 

[bdw]

With the greatest respect, I don't see why the client put you out, if anything you put him out.

All done by mutual agreement.

.

 

[Posilan]

I personally wouldn't invoice. In our industry, we quite often have to do quite a lot of product research in order to submit a quotation or tender. I would regard the "research" time you spent as not really any different as it was needed in order to get the order.

If you did invoice, it's possibly just going to cause bad feeling and potentially take up more of your time dealing with the backlash and/or defending it.

Chalk it up to experience and next time get a written timetable of deliverables agreed (and a deposit) before you start work.

Steve

 

[bdw]

If you did invoice, it's possibly just going to cause bad feeling and potentially take up more of your time dealing with the backlash and/or defending it.

As I said in my first post it was the client who asked to be invoiced. no defence would be necessary unless I was asking too much I assume.

Chalk it up to experience and next time get a written timetable of deliverables agreed (and a deposit) before you start work.

I find that if I make the process too formal it can chase some small business clients away.

 

[Posilan]

As I said in my first post it was the client who asked to be invoiced. no defence would be necessary unless I was asking too much I assume.

Sorry - missed that!

Well, in that case, i'd send an invoice for a nominal amount - maybe an hours' labour or so and maybe explain that you will be happy to discount the amount off future work should he be unhappy with the new company - that way you feel you both come out of it "winners".

I find that if I make the process too formal it can chase some small business clients away.

It doesn't need to be too formal - even a simple email with what should happen and when by - if the customer queries it, bust explain it's just as much for their benefit so they know when X should be completed by.

Steve

 

[bdw]

Well, in that case, i'd send an invoice for a nominal amount - maybe an hours' labour or so and maybe explain that you will be happy to discount the amount off future work should he be unhappy with the new company - that way you feel you both come out of it "winners".

I like that idea.

 

[mobyme]

I would invoice because at the end of the day; time is time.
Wish him every success with his project and breadcrumb a way back to you by telling him that you remain at his disposal if for any reason things do not go smoothly or he encounters any problems.

 

[yourcreditmanager]

. He has now got back to me saying that he appreciated what I had done for me and that if I sent him an invoice he would honour it.

.

Hi

You sound uncomfortable with the notion of billing the client in the context of the above post, so don't do it... instead why he not reply thanking him for his reasonable gesture of offering to send him an invoice for time spent and suggesting rather than presenting an invoice, would he have any objection writing a positive referral or review of your business on any directory you're on such as www.freeindex.co.uk as an alternative. I think this would be fairly well received - but hey that's just my opinion.

Michael

 

[Alfa Amore]

Send him an email saying whilst you are disapointed he did not proceed with you proposal and while he values the work you have done for him you feel that raising an invoice would be unfair, however you would be grateful if he would bear you in mind for any work in the future when you will assure him of a more prompt response - you never know his new provider might not come up with the right proposal or may even go bust

 

[bdw]

I like this one too.

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[Working First Aid]

Send him an email saying whilst you are disapointed he did not proceed with you proposal and while he values the work you have done for him you feel that raising an invoice would be unfair, however you would be grateful if he would bear you in mind for any work in the future when you will assure him of a more prompt response - you never know his new provider might not come up with the right proposal or may even go bust

That's a good way to go.

Hell, see if he can give you a testimonial for your conduct throughout or some word of mouth promotion.

Some good PR would at least be some kind of positive outcome, without all the hassle of trying to chase him for money that he may well fight you for all the way...

 

[bdw]

without all the hassle of trying to chase him for money that he may well fight you for all the way

As I said in my first post it was the client who asked to be invoiced. No defence would be necessary unless I was asking too much I assume.

.

 

[Working First Aid]

As I said in my first post it was the client who asked to be invoiced. No defence would be necessary unless I was asking too much I assume.

.

My bad, I missed that first part :redface:

 

[Jacob F]

I wouldn't even consider his offer, its part of business, you put the groundwork in to potential business deals (off your own back) and some (for whatever reason) fall through and you take the hit. Doesn't this happen to most people every week or am I unique?

 

[bdw]

Doesn't this happen to most people every week or am I unique?

It certainly doesn't happen to me. Yes, I do get "keen" enquiries that later fall through but in this case the client had committed to use my services, accepted a quote and sent me all his information.

.

 

[Jacob F]

It certainly doesn't happen to me. Yes, I do get "keen" enquiries that later fall through but in this case the client had committed to use my services, accepted a quote and sent me all his information.

.

Fair enough, though committed to me is a deposit which lands in my business bank account, until I've got that I have to presume I'm working for nothing. I understand the circumstances here and how you may feel aggrieved but I'd personally put it down to just "one of those things".

 

[bdw]

For the record, I have invoiced him for a nominal two hours and told him I would discount any future works by that amount.

 

[Moneyman]

Sounds like a decent guy. If you have had any out of pocket expenses such as buying a domain name then charge him for it. Otherwise just say that you apreciate his offer but you dont feel you should charge on this occasion but would love to be considered should a new project crop up.

 

[bdw]

You seem to have missed my previous post.

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