Tricky revision request

[zalite]

Hey guys!

I have a funny (weird?) story to tell regarding one order I’m currently working on. My client has a blog which needs consistent visuals (illustrations) which would represent different categories. Like the ones on Medium where some bloggers choose to use repeated illustrations in the same style for their posts.

My client requested 9 illustrations (3 illustrations for each of 3 categories) and gave me a variety of scenarios to choose from (what to draw) when I asked for it. I am not really a specialist in the topic of this blog that’s why I was happy when she gave me scenarios.

Also, I only did one illustration first for her to see if she likes my style. It went well, I chose one of the given scenarios. Then she ordered 2 more for 2 remaining categories, and I did them as well based on her other examples. For this order, though, I got a revision where my client was telling me she’s imagining something else for these illustrations. And it’s not really a modification or an edit to the existing ones but redrawing them completely with different scenarios to what she has given me before. It’s not something I could have thought of on my own since, again, I understand absolutely nothing about the specifics of this blog, and her giving me scenarios was basically my brief so that I could work on it. Right now she gave me a completely different brief.

I have told her that I could do these 2 new illustrations as a different order since her request has nothing in common with what she has given me before. I have never had this kind of revision request before, that’s why I am not sure how to handle it. I do mention when I work with clients that I perceive revisions as edits to a work I’ve done, but not as a complete re-do. Especially when I am asked to follow a different briefing.

Besides, my client needs 3 different illustrations for each category, and I have already provided 1 for each (she has all the source files). I don’t want to think badly in advance, but I feel like she might be fishing for double work for the same price to save money on it. Maybe I’m wrong, but she hasn’t responded to me yet, and I have a countdown happening since the revision is in a request stage.

Did anyone have similar experience before? And how did you handle it? Also, what do I do if she doesn’t get back to me till my deadline? I have told her that if she likes I can perform edits to existing illustrations within a revision, and do another two as a separate order since she needs more illustrations anyway.

[cubittaudio]

Hey guys!

I have a funny (weird?) story to tell regarding one order I’m currently working on. My client has a blog which needs consistent visuals (illustrations) which would represent different categories. Like the ones on Medium where some bloggers choose to use repeated illustrations in the same style for their posts.

My client requested 9 illustrations (3 illustrations for each of 3 categories) and gave me a variety of scenarios to choose from (what to draw) when I asked for it. I am not really a specialist in the topic of this blog that’s why I was happy when she gave me scenarios.

Also, I only did one illustration first for her to see if she likes my style. It went well, I chose one of the given scenarios. Then she ordered 2 more for 2 remaining categories, and I did them as well based on her other examples. For this order, though, I got a revision where my client was telling me she’s imagining something else for these illustrations. And it’s not really a modification or an edit to the existing ones but redrawing them completely with different scenarios to what she has given me before. It’s not something I could have thought of on my own since, again, I understand absolutely nothing about the specifics of this blog, and her giving me scenarios was basically my brief so that I could work on it. Right now she gave me a completely different brief.

I have told her that I could do these 2 new illustrations as a different order since her request has nothing in common with what she has given me before. I have never had this kind of revision request before, that’s why I am not sure how to handle it. I do mention when I work with clients that I perceive revisions as edits to a work I’ve done, but not as a complete re-do. Especially when I am asked to follow a different briefing.

Besides, my client needs 3 different illustrations for each category, and I have already provided 1 for each (she has all the source files). I don’t want to think badly in advance, but I feel like she might be fishing for double work for the same price to save money on it. Maybe I’m wrong, but she hasn’t responded to me yet, and I have a countdown happening since the revision is in a request stage.

Did anyone have similar experience before? And how did you handle it? Also, what do I do if she doesn’t get back to me till my deadline? I have told her that if she likes I can perform edits to existing illustrations within a revision, and do another two as a separate order since she needs more illustrations anyway.

Did anyone have similar experience before? And how did you handle it?

We’re in a different field to you (Voiceover), but we get a similar scenario. It’s rare, but every now and then, a client will ask for a reading in a certain tone (professional, corporate, mellow etc) and then say something like “it was a bit boring, the read needs to be a bit more fun and exciting”. Like your designs, it means a brand new recording, and it’s the opposite of what was originally asked for.

In terms of what we do, it all depends on… What did the client ask for? If we believe with absolute sincerity that we’ve delivered what was asked for, and that the client is essentially asking for something new, then we charge for a revision every time. And we charge at our full word-rate. We’re up-front about this in our gig descriptions and FAQs, and 9 times out of 10, clients accept it. It also encourages clients to be much more forthcoming with accurate requirements when they place the order.

If on the other hand, we think that it’s open to interpretation, we might revise for free. If the client asked for ‘playful and upbeat’, and we delivered a recording with low energy, we technically didn’t deliver what they asked for. But this is why we’re so insistent on good direction when clients order.

In your scenario, do you feel that you delivered what the client asked for? And that they’ve now changed their mind? If so, why not charge them a revision fee?

Also, what do I do if she doesn’t get back to me till my deadline?

You’ve definitely delivered the original files right? Not simply messaged them? If so, then you no longer have a ‘deadline’ to worry about. The only true deadline is for the first delivery. It doesn’t matter how long revisions take now, you can’t be marked as late.

[zalite]

Did anyone have similar experience before? And how did you handle it?

We’re in a different field to you (Voiceover), but we get a similar scenario. It’s rare, but every now and then, a client will ask for a reading in a certain tone (professional, corporate, mellow etc) and then say something like “it was a bit boring, the read needs to be a bit more fun and exciting”. Like your designs, it means a brand new recording, and it’s the opposite of what was originally asked for.

In terms of what we do, it all depends on… What did the client ask for? If we believe with absolute sincerity that we’ve delivered what was asked for, and that the client is essentially asking for something new, then we charge for a revision every time. And we charge at our full word-rate. We’re up-front about this in our gig descriptions and FAQs, and 9 times out of 10, clients accept it. It also encourages clients to be much more forthcoming with accurate requirements when they place the order.

If on the other hand, we think that it’s open to interpretation, we might revise for free. If the client asked for ‘playful and upbeat’, and we delivered a recording with low energy, we technically didn’t deliver what they asked for. But this is why we’re so insistent on good direction when clients order.

In your scenario, do you feel that you delivered what the client asked for? And that they’ve now changed their mind? If so, why not charge them a revision fee?

Also, what do I do if she doesn’t get back to me till my deadline?

You’ve definitely delivered the original files right? Not simply messaged them? If so, then you no longer have a ‘deadline’ to worry about. The only true deadline is for the first delivery. It doesn’t matter how long revisions take now, you can’t be marked as late.

Hey!

Thank you so much for your reply! I like your codex of honor regarding revisions 🙂

I am usually pretty much the same as you. I normally like revisions because I perceive them as a chance for me to improve my work and my chances to keep a client happy by the end of our working together.

To be more detailed, my client’s blog topic is “Human Resources”. The scenarios for two categories I was illustrating were “interviewing professionals” and “data review”. So I basically had two guys sitting at a table and talking within an interview and in the other one two people standing next to a browser window with different data and reviewing it.

In a revision, she asks for me to draw “people working together as a team” as an alternative to an “interview” (both topics match the category but represent different visuals) and “people coding” instead of “data review”. And here I wouldn’t be able to really edit any parts of my illustrations since she’s asking for different things. But at the same time, I believe I did right by her original request.

Yeah, I’ve delivered everything including all the source files so she has all the work. I messaged her after she requested a revision. I delivered earlier than my deadline so I guess my countdown will stop and nothing will happen afterward?

I should probably add more FAQs regarding this matter 🙂 Thank you, again, for sharing!

[cubittaudio]

Hey!

Thank you so much for your reply! I like your codex of honor regarding revisions 🙂

I am usually pretty much the same as you. I normally like revisions because I perceive them as a chance for me to improve my work and my chances to keep a client happy by the end of our working together.

To be more detailed, my client’s blog topic is “Human Resources”. The scenarios for two categories I was illustrating were “interviewing professionals” and “data review”. So I basically had two guys sitting at a table and talking within an interview and in the other one two people standing next to a browser window with different data and reviewing it.

In a revision, she asks for me to draw “people working together as a team” as an alternative to an “interview” (both topics match the category but represent different visuals) and “people coding” instead of “data review”. And here I wouldn’t be able to really edit any parts of my illustrations since she’s asking for different things. But at the same time, I believe I did right by her original request.

Yeah, I’ve delivered everything including all the source files so she has all the work. I messaged her after she requested a revision. I delivered earlier than my deadline so I guess my countdown will stop and nothing will happen afterward?

I should probably add more FAQs regarding this matter 🙂 Thank you, again, for sharing!

To be more detailed, my client’s blog topic is “Human Resources”. The scenarios for two categories I was illustrating were “interviewing professionals” and “data review”. So I basically had two guys sitting at a table and talking within an interview and in the other one two people standing next to a browser window with different data and reviewing it.

In a revision, she asks for me to draw “people working together as a team” as an alternative to an “interview” (both topics match the category but represent different visuals) and “people coding” instead of “data review”. And here I wouldn’t be able to really edit any parts of my illustrations since she’s asking for different things. But at the same time, I believe I did right by her original request.

To me, it sounds like your client has changed their mind about what they want. We all know what an interview looks like, and it most definitely looks different to “a group of people working as a team”.

It would be like if I commissioned you to do some illustrations around the topic of ‘cars’ for me, and said “Yeah, could you draw me some family-friendly cars?”. Then when you delivered the drawings of SUVs and Sedans, I turn around and say “these are good, but they should be probably be luxury supercars”.

Same topic? Yes. Same theme? Yes. But you’d still have to scrap everything you’d done and start again, because I’m asking for something completely different.

It’s up to you how you proceed, but I’d be sending this client a revision fee for the 2 new illustrations she’s asked you for.

[zalite]

To be more detailed, my client’s blog topic is “Human Resources”. The scenarios for two categories I was illustrating were “interviewing professionals” and “data review”. So I basically had two guys sitting at a table and talking within an interview and in the other one two people standing next to a browser window with different data and reviewing it.

In a revision, she asks for me to draw “people working together as a team” as an alternative to an “interview” (both topics match the category but represent different visuals) and “people coding” instead of “data review”. And here I wouldn’t be able to really edit any parts of my illustrations since she’s asking for different things. But at the same time, I believe I did right by her original request.

To me, it sounds like your client has changed their mind about what they want. We all know what an interview looks like, and it most definitely looks different to “a group of people working as a team”.

It would be like if I commissioned you to do some illustrations around the topic of ‘cars’ for me, and said “Yeah, could you draw me some family-friendly cars?”. Then when you delivered the drawings of SUVs and Sedans, I turn around and say “these are good, but they should be probably be luxury supercars”.

Same topic? Yes. Same theme? Yes. But you’d still have to scrap everything you’d done and start again, because I’m asking for something completely different.

It’s up to you how you proceed, but I’d be sending this client a revision fee for the 2 new illustrations she’s asked you for.

Haha exactly! I love your illustrative examples 🙂

If she keeps being silent tomorrow I’ll just send a request.

It’s so annoying though when they change their mind when work is done. Like 15-year-old teenage girls 🤯

[mariashtelle1]

You are doing the right thing. Every once in a while I get clients who changed their mind and asking for new vision after the delivery.

I usually send them a screenshot of their requirements and highlight the bottom part that says that “buyer confirmed that information provided is accuarate and aware that all new changes might cause an extra charge” (don’t remember exact wording but it’s something like that)

And I’m always saying that I’m happy to work on the revisions, however new ideas and new requirements it’s a separate order. (If I feel that the client is good, I can offer them a small discount if I don’t have to start my work from scratch).