Today’s question comes from Kirsty.
She says, “Do you charge a rush fee? For example, it’s 5:22 pm, and a client asked if I could do an ad tonight. Considering how busy I am, clients need to understand that I don’t work weekends unless we have an agreement.”
Key Takeaways from this Episode:
- Be clear about your policies and expectations. Let your clients know when you are available to work and what your rates are for rush jobs.
- Be flexible and willing to negotiate. If a client has a truly urgent need, you may be willing to make an exception to your policies. However, be sure to negotiate a fair price for the rush job.
- Communicate effectively. Keep your clients updated on your progress and let them know when the work will be completed. This will help to manage their expectations and avoid any surprises.
The answer to this question depends on a few factors. First, you need to consider your own priorities. If you value your personal time and don’t want to work on weekends, you should politely decline the request and explain your policy. However, if you’re willing to work on weekends for a rush fee, then you can consider the client’s relationship with you and the urgency of the request.
If the client is a good long-term client who has never made unreasonable requests before, you may be willing to make an exception and do the work for a rush fee. However, if the client is a new client or has a history of making unreasonable requests, you may want to decline the request, even if they’re willing to pay a rush fee.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to charge a rush fee is up to you. You need to weigh all of the factors involved and make the decision that is best for you.
Episode Transcript
This transcript was auto-generated and may have grammatical errors.
00:00.00
Preston Lee
All right today’s question comes from Kirsty and Kirsty says hey guys do you charge a rush fee. For example, it’s 5 22 PM and a client has asked if I can do an ad tonight but considering how busy I am I think it’s needed in my contract that I don’t work weekends. There’s a few questions maybe packed in there clay and I will be back in just a minute we’re going to answer the you know rush fee question but also a couple other subtle questions that are mixed in. We’ll be right back all right Clay. It’s 5 22 p m on a friday. Kirsty has a client that reaches out says can you design this now. What should she do should she charge a rush fee should she not do that at all, you know what? What do you think.
00:41.22
Clay Mosley
Ah.
00:48.20
Clay Mosley
I Think this all really depends on your priorities. Um I think if your priorities are you know where it’s like you. You don’t work past five P M because it’s family time. Well then just leave it at that.
01:01.84
Preston Lee
Yeah, yep.
01:03.20
Clay Mosley
And just be like this is my policy I don’t do I don’t work after 5 p M or weekends right? Um, so like if that’s a super high priority for you like then then I I would just leave it at that if you have if you if you. Are willing to do it I would absolutely charge a rush fee and it would be at least triple the amount.
01:25.16
Preston Lee
yeah yeah yeah I I love that you broke that down into 2 pieces right? because the first the first question really is like are you willing to do it if you’re not willing to do it in that moment.
01:35.50
Clay Mosley
Um, yeah, putin.
01:44.28
Preston Lee
Again, coming back to you know in in maybe two shorts ago. We said like you have to be solution oriented I would maybe say either I’m happy to do that First thing Monday morning for you I get in at 9 um, or I would say like I know I know this guy who does work Saturdays and I just don’t. Um, maybe he could help you out or like like coming up with another solution could be helpful and good for your client relationship? Um, but if you don’t want to do all that I think I think let’s give um permission here to Kirsty like official permission to just not.
02:06.26
Clay Mosley
M.
02:20.30
Preston Lee
Ah, feel like she has to worry about that. Um business hours are business hours and you’re a business and and like you know you just because they are having an emergency doesn’t mean that it needs to become your emergency.
02:20.49
Clay Mosley
And.
02:36.50
Clay Mosley
Yeah I think it’s um I think most people would understand. It’s all about expectations. It’s like what what expectations expectations did you set at the beginning of that relationship.
02:42.50
Preston Lee
Yeah.
02:48.97
Preston Lee
Yeah, yeah.
02:51.18
Clay Mosley
And if you set those expectations right? Then the client’s going to be fine. Client’s not going to at least not a good client good clients are going to respect that Um, here’s the issue with if you decide to take it on whether you charge a rush fee or not.
02:59.87
Preston Lee
Um, yeah.
03:10.91
Clay Mosley
And that’s something you don’t really want to do but you feel like you feel obligated to do it because they’re a client here’s the issue with that is now you have set the expectation going forward and the client is going to expect that going forward.
03:16.20
Preston Lee
Um, yeah.
03:25.51
Preston Lee
Yep, Absolutely yep, Especially if you charge a rush fee then it then it sounds like yes we do this for a fee and so the client every time is going to weigh in their mind.
03:30.65
Clay Mosley
So.
03:35.33
Clay Mosley
Yep.
03:39.22
Preston Lee
Am I willing to be yeah I think I’m willing to pay the fee to get it done. Let’s do it and on five thirty on a Friday they’re going to text you and expect it to be done.
03:40.78
Clay Mosley
Yeah, yeah, yeah, so I think the first question is you need to ask yourself is do you actually really want to do it and and ask that question without regards of money right without thinking about how much money you can make.
03:55.80
Preston Lee
Yeah.
03:59.70
Clay Mosley
Like do you want to do this on five thirty whatever weekend or whatever if the answer is no boom. It just stops right? there if the answer is yes if you’re willing to do it. Okay, great then charge a charge a rush fee.
04:02.36
Preston Lee
Um, yeah, yep.
04:12.88
Preston Lee
But your next question then becomes are you willing to do it every weekend right? because.
04:20.83
Clay Mosley
Yeah I think I don’t know I think if the answer is yes, you’re willing to do it I think that’s I don’t know for me that that means you’re willing to do it. Um, anytime outside of ours.
04:35.72
Preston Lee
Yeah, you kind of have to draw a hard line right? because I mean I could see me like you know clients in a pinch in an emergency and I’m like I can do this for sure. Let’s do it. But then the next weekend I’m on vacation and they want something.
04:51.49
Clay Mosley
Ah, her.
04:52.00
Preston Lee
You know I I think if you are going to do it the and you want it to be done the 1 time you definitely again. It comes back to expectations like you said and communication. You have you have to say like I can only do this this one time. But even that is risky. It’s risky.
04:58.90
Clay Mosley
And here here’s here’s the yeah. Yeah, Also here’s another thing to throw into the to the mix here. It’s real I think it also depends on how who the client is. Because if it’s somebody like you really like like they’re just they’re just good clients right? They’ve been paying you for a while they’re probably going to pay you for a long while they never request this kind of stuff ever.
05:24.73
Preston Lee
Ah.
05:31.37
Preston Lee
Yeah, yeah, yep.
05:34.18
Clay Mosley
But they’re just they just happen to be in a pinch me and I have done this is I will straight up tell them and be like I never do this but because you’re a good client. A good friend I will do it for you now.
05:47.54
Preston Lee
Yep.
05:51.10
Clay Mosley
I am very choosy on who I say that to very true I would never ever do this for a new client ever and I would never ever do this for pain in the ass client I would.
05:51.99
Preston Lee
Very very selective. Yeah.
06:03.87
Preston Lee
Yeah.
06:06.55
Clay Mosley
I Would only do this for a longtanding good client. That’s it and there’s nothing wrong with that in my opinion. Yep, so because that one that one like it’s considered a favor at that point is it. It has nothing to do with how much money you’re making.
06:09.24
Preston Lee
Um, yeah, no, they burned it.
06:25.79
Clay Mosley
Or whatever like you’re just doing them a favor because you know that they’re going to pay you for the next five years you know what? I mean.
06:33.43
Preston Lee
Yup, yup, it’s worth the time investment I think too like it’s worth considering there is there is a possibility this client just I mean we don’t know the context that’s what’s so hard about these short q and a episodes is like we can’t ask questions back. But like some clients they might send something on a Friday afternoon and say can you do this and they just are thinking that you’re you’re going to see it Monday morning right? Um I guess in her question she did say the client asked if they can do that tonight so Friday night but like sometimes I think it’s important to just.
06:57.93
Clay Mosley
Oh first.
07:09.11
Preston Lee
Clarify how you communicate with your clients like they might just be emailing you right before they leave the office hey here’s another thing I was thinking about and it’s like I don’t expect a response now or even over the weekend. Let’s just chat on Monday but they just happen to send it Friday afternoon so it’s just good to know like this this is maybe a bigger picture thing. It’s like It’s good to know how your clients communicate. Um and to just get a lot of clarity around their requests and how they request things and when they request things and why and how you can best meet those needs because they might be fine if you wait till Monday morning and meanwhile you’re like panicking over the weekend and they’re like oh that could have waited.
07:39.80
Clay Mosley
Ah, ah.
07:46.65
Preston Lee
Whatever.
07:47.64
Clay Mosley
Yep yep yep, agree with all of that.
07:50.17
Preston Lee
Communication you’ve you’ve said that a few times on the show right? lot of problems can be solved with communication. So.
07:53.99
Clay Mosley
All yeah communication communication solves. You know you know I always say that I say like sales solves everything but really, it’s communication.
08:00.10
Preston Lee
So much.
08:06.79
Preston Lee
Yeah communication and that’s why your wife wants to you wants you to use more than 1 word answers when she’s talking to you clay.
08:14.21
Clay Mosley
Um, yeah, yes, indeed.
08:18.77
Preston Lee
Ah, that’s right, all right? Well Clay Mosley from gettrify.com I’ve been Preston Lee with millow dot co and we will catch you guys next time see yeah.
08:28.54
Clay Mosley
See ah.
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