With a nod to Gerald Durrell
Yesterday’s payment issue has yet to resolve itself. Funny how much time clients will attempt to buy with questions and proclamations of “I’ll check into it and get back to you.” What should have been an instant “Ooops. Yes, we’ll take care of it” is starting to stretch into areas that more or less resemble avoidance or stall tactics. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Two days from now, if no word has been received, the late fees are getting attached to the current invoice and sent. While I understand there’s been a changing of the guard at the client location, there have also been multiple documents shared over the course of a month and a half now. There are no more excuses. My faxes have been sent, and my invoices number enough to wallpaper my study. Enough already.
For as ripe as this situation is beginning to smell, it’s nothing compared to this one that Kathy Kehrli mentions on her weblog. I alluded to it last week, but this guy apparently doesn’t give up! And what’s even funnier, the Writing Frump must be dealing with this person, too. It sounds awfully familiar.
This one’s easy – that’s not an employer. That’s a clueless person trying to get something for nothing. And it would appear he’s meeting with the wrath of more than one writer. That we call “karma”, folks. That he chose to curse at Frump is proof that he’s not a professional.
One thing did disturb me about Frump’s post – the dude referred to writers as “service providers” and apparently felt that justified him in dictating the rate the writers would receive. Where does this notion come from? My doctor’s a service provider. So is my attorney. So is my HVAC tech. So is my plumber. Do I dictate what I’ll pay to them, or do they state their rates and I make my decision based on both their cost and their expertise? Yea, you know the answer.
So where does this guy get off thinking he’s allowed to say “I tell you what you’re making!” Yea, good luck with that.
I guess the key is to defend yourself whenever necessary. However, don’t defend against attacks made by idiots like the dude (or dudes – God forbid there are two of them!) in Kathy and Frump’s posts. Defending emotional tirades is akin to wrestling with a pig. Instead, defend against facts. Fact – payment hasn’t been made. Fact – paperwork proves payment was due. Fact – late fees now apply.
That’s a sensible defense, and the only one you should ever need to make.
…the dude referred to writers as “service providers” and apparently felt that justified him in dictating the rate the writers would receive. Where does this notion come from?
This type of logic always ticks me off too. I set the terms, and if you don’t like them, then YOU don’t work with ME. LOL
It’s 3 weeks since I sent an invoice for $50! — And I keep getting the run around — I’m getting frustrated.
These people are a ridiculous waste of time and space.
Next!
Once you get payment, I hope you dump this client.
Consider them inches from being dumped, Devon. I won’t work with people who won’t hold up their end of things.
Luckily, more work came in yesterday from a reliable source. That obliterates the need for the bullsh!t these people are pulling.