It finally happened to me.

[thecomputerguy]

I've been in the industry for 22 years and self employed for 13 of them. This has NEVER happened to me during self-employment.

I have a legacy client who I continue to service because I didn't want to abandon my old clients when I moved into Business/MSP. I've never really liked the guy, he's older, abrasive, wealthy, and anything that isn't working for him is the most important thing on the planet at that moment for everyone.

I've learned to deal with him by making him wait at least half a day anytime he contacts me whether I am busy or not.

He probably contacts me once a month for something, usually relatively simple.

Last week he wasn't able to get his Gmail account working in Outlook. I was busy at the time so he had to wait a few hours. I logged in an it ended up being that his Gmail just went out of sync. Removed account, re-added, verified everything was working, he's happy, logged out, sent bill for my minimum fee $55

I later got an email:

$55.00 for 6 minutes work?? Really are you serious?

I responded with

I am pretty generous with my time and we have had several conversations over the phone and short logins that I hadn't billed for. I keep a mental tally.

Usually I bill for any time I login to ANYTHING.

All I have to sell is time and knowledge, and I prefer to work fast for your convenience. I'd rather do that than try to drag 6 minutes out into 20 minutes. If you'd prefer I work slower next time I can accommodate that.

The thing is ... I was curious so I did some digging. The last invoice I sent him was November of 2024! I dug deeper.

Since then we have had:

3 Communications by email
25 minutes of communication by phone
6 communications by text
4 Short logins to his computer

And he's complaining about $55

Smells like someone's fired! This is why I hate residential and don't take ANY of it anymore.

Usually with my legacy residential clients they see my generosity and value my time and their privilege to have a contact like myself available by text. So much so that they BEG me to bill them after even just a phone call.

 

[sapphirescales]

$55.00 for 6 minutes work?? Really are you serious?

Yes I get that one quite frequently. Even worse because my minimum is $90. For good past clients I keep a record and only charge them when they reach that 15 minute ($90) threshold. For the annoying clients who bug me all the time and complain about my services or pricing I either drop them or charge them $90 every time they call. Either they stop calling, or I get $90 every time they do. Either way, I win. You need to stick to your guns and stay professional. Let him know that $55 is your minimum fee for remoting in and keep it at that. Don't try to justify your pricing with how much "free" work you've done for him. Clients like that will not care and will think it's an excuse. And seriously, the audacity of this client to complain about spending $55 is staggering. $55 is absolutely nothing. That doesn't even fill my gas tank. I would dump this client like radioactive waste

 

[ThatPlace928]

@thecomputerguy , I'd be frustrated at something like that, too.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I have a legacy client who I continue to service ..., he's older, abrasive, wealthy, and anything that isn't working for him is the most important thing on the planet at that moment for everyone.

That's a tough one to service even back in the day...not to mention...keep around after you've gone MSP.

It baffles me sometimes that some "wealthy" people...can get quite cheap. I've had the privilege of pretty much being the only IT guy to service an island just offshore of my original home state (where our main office still is up in CT). That island has some summer residents that are....old generation wealthy...most people here on this forum would recognize a lot of those names.

Last spring I did a big campus area Unifi network on a huge family compound, where the grand parents "summer house" (but..mansion for the rest of us)...was in the middle, and 4x satellite summer houses/summer cottages (still huge gorgeous homes) were around the complex. That guy didn't balk at the price, and I got to sleep there overnight. I've done some other large scale networks in "summer homes" (huge mansions) out there.

But last summer, one of his kids reached out to me, they have a place down near me on an island nearby (Sanibel)...and they had just purchased a big horse farm up in Ocala. He wanted to install Starlink (since the DSL up there was..old school slow DSL, and no cable options), and blanket the farm house with wifi, the paddocks, the barn, the shed, the staff quarters, the trailer area, etc etc. (anyone ever watch Yellowstone? Yeah..farm sorta like that farm house and structures around it...just a few hundred acres of land though, not...half a state like Yellowstone) I did as much as I can from Google Earth...and a few pictures that a property caretaker that lived there could send me, and gave him an estimate. He balked! Said he found someone nearby who could install a Starlink.

...though to myself.."OK, great, Starlink is easy. Spreading the wifi to cover what you asked...is the majority of this job and will require much more than the good old Starlink gen3 router that comes in the kit!

 

[sapphirescales]

He balked! Said he found someone nearby who could install a Starlink.

There's nothing worse than a rich a$$hole who can afford your services but just doesn't want to pay for them. You dodged a bullet. I'd rather have a poor client who can't afford a repair than a rich a$$hole client like this.

 

[frase]

Reminds me of this tale.


A giant ship’s engine failed. The ship’s owners tried one ‘professional’ after another but none of them could figure out how to fix the broken engine.

Then they brought in a man who had been fixing ships since he was young.
He carried a large bag of tools with him and when he arrived immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship’s owners were there watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away and the engine was fixed!!!

A week later, the owners received an invoice from the old man for $10,000.

What?! the owners exclaimed. “He hardly did anything..!!!”.

So they wrote to the man; “Please send us an itemised invoice.”

The man sent an invoice that read:

Tapping with a hammer………………….. $2.00

Knowing where to tap…………………….. $9,998.00

Effort is important but experience and knowing where to direct that effort makes all the difference.

 

[britechguy]

And he's complaining about $55

Essentially, my line is: My rates are . . . You have engaged me before and know this, as well as what my minimum charges are. The amount owed is $XX.

I will not negotiate with "this type of person." I'd rather not be paid, and then fire the client, than ever to negotiate with this type of person.

And this is coming from someone who believes that it's "part of the service" to give loyal customers the occasional minute or two of free advice/guidance. But I get to make the call about the where/when of giving out anything, not the customer.

 

[thecomputerguy]

Still have not received payment or communication from the client.

 

[lan101]

These types of clients I don't think realize that we're all human so if they're gonna be an A-hole then they are last on the priority list for me lol.

Thankfully I have very few like that. I'd just give it a week and if he doesn't pay it send another invoice reminder. If still not paid within a day or 2 call and ask if he's going to pay or if not he can be officially dropped as a client.

If he does pay it I might still not deal with him down the road lol. I couldn't imagine dealing with him on a bigger project...prepaid only.

 

[callthatgirl]

I'm going to blame this one on you lol. I had to make some hard changes with my business awhile ago. I used to let little **** slide and with break/fix there is no free time. I quit comping time, credit card before I help, people buy 1 hour and can use the hour in 15 min increments. I quit invoicing, I take the time to get the card before I remote in. I document the **** out of every call. I do email for free if it's simple fixes like "reboot then call me". I have a notepad I review every morning to keep my mind on track of these issues I don't want to deal with anymore.

I just had a hustler take me for $300. I said I'd send an invoice and he never paid, my attorney emailed him and his attorney emailed back, quit a drama. I could small claims court him as we live in the same town but I let it go and firmed up my processes instead. Like you, it's rare this happens but I'm like a lawyer, I bill for every minute I give support.

 

[twwabw]

I just simply don't do any "home" clients- businesses only. And business = an office, with some staff. Not a guy in a rented office. We don't do break/fix- you're either a monthly fee client, or you're not a client. Learned years ago with home users that if they paid you to fix it once, the warranty (in their mind.....) is forever. No Thanks.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

So a few years ago I picked up a boat valet marina client.....decent manager at the time. Then they sold to a guy who owns a few marinas and golf courses up and down the east coast. Nice guy....but "cheap cheap cheap!" The original manager had planned on replacing the old workstations back then. This guy...for the past 2 years I've quoted replacements during winter season "downtime" (it up by our CT office). One of them some residential grade HP with 6 gigs of RAM...lol. And they complain that it's slow!

Well thankfully the Windows 10 retirement is forcing replacement....and his rigs are all so old ...cannot upgrade to 11...so new computers it is!
The software they run the marina is, Commander and Scribble....told them they must have Windows 11 starting October, or their software won't be supported. So they ask for quotes yesterday. I look up a few Lenovo TinyPCs and one of our sources has some nice m75q at a great price....Ryzen 7 Pro...so I quote those with the TIO monitors. I think I only put 22 margin on them. Also quoted a model with the Ryzen 5 Pro...about 150 bucks less.

I send the quotes, their office manager (she's so nice)....replies that "He said it's a go, but can you do any better on the pricing of the two computers?"

I have our office manager check our stock on our shelves....we had 2x older gen M70q on the shelf, just i5 CPUs. Fine...sold him those two instead. Lower price for him. But we actually made much more, think I had 27 margin on 'em. lol.

 

[timeshifter]

3 Communications by email
25 minutes of communication by phone
6 communications by text
4 Short logins to his computer

I'm not defending this guy at all, but it might help to see it from the other side. You said you kept a mental tally, but it seems you've got better records than that. If you had responded with that it may have helped.

Also, frankly, you've kind of trained him to get used to free stuff recently. I'm guilty of it myself, so don't take this as an attack. I'm horrible about billing on time. Luckily I don't have a guy like him (well maybe one lady, but I've learned to not internalize her bitchiness). And I have one guy who when we get together he'll say "we talked about this problem" etc to make sure I include it in the bill.

 

[thecomputerguy]

I'm not defending this guy at all, but it might help to see it from the other side. You said you kept a mental tally, but it seems you've got better records than that. If you had responded with that it may have helped.

Also, frankly, you've kind of trained him to get used to free stuff recently. I'm guilty of it myself, so don't take this as an attack. I'm horrible about billing on time. Luckily I don't have a guy like him (well maybe one lady, but I've learned to not internalize her bitchiness). And I have one guy who when we get together he'll say "we talked about this problem" etc to make sure I include it in the bill.

Yeah I don't know if I ever really planned on producing that information unless it was time to cut ties as a one last F U.

But I agree, I have have trained this person to expect free stuff... That's my bad. Most of my clients are on automatic monthly billing so to be honest with you sometimes these quick little ones get away from me.

 

[ell]

Reminds me of this tale.


A giant ship’s engine failed. The ship’s owners tried one ‘professional’ after another but none of them could figure out how to fix the broken engine.

Then they brought in a man who had been fixing ships since he was young.
He carried a large bag of tools with him and when he arrived immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship’s owners were there watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away and the engine was fixed!!!

A week later, the owners received an invoice from the old man for $10,000.

What?! the owners exclaimed. “He hardly did anything..!!!”.

So they wrote to the man; “Please send us an itemised invoice.”

The man sent an invoice that read:

Tapping with a hammer………………….. $2.00

Knowing where to tap…………………….. $9,998.00

Effort is important but experience and knowing where to direct that effort makes all the difference.

Like the saying "your not paying me for pushing buttons, you paying me for knowing which buttons to push." I have quoted that a few times over the years

 

[britechguy]

"your not paying me for pushing buttons, you paying me for knowing which buttons to push."

How it doesn't occur to certain people that we are paid for our technical knowledge and expertise truly mystifies me.

We're no different than mechanics, plumbers, doctors, lawyers, and other trades and professions where knowledge base is as important, if not more important, than "brawn."

 

[frase]

How it doesn't occur to certain people that we are paid for our technical knowledge and expertise truly mystifies me.

We're no different than mechanics, plumbers, doctors, lawyers, and other trades and professions where knowledge base is as important, if not more important, than "brawn."

Yes exactly, everyone is quite happy to pay the fees that other professionals charge even for a mere 15 minute service.

 

[ell]

How it doesn't occur to certain people that we are paid for our technical knowledge and expertise truly mystifies me.

We're no different than mechanics, plumbers, doctors, lawyers, and other trades and professions where knowledge base is as important, if not more important, than "brawn."

They have the mentality that if they know a kid that can "fix" a computer than it must be easy

 

[DRPCNZ]

Still have not received payment or communication from the client.

Point out invoice is overdue ask for payment in full give him 2 days then send him a final letter of demand advising if not paid you will hand on to debt collection agency. From there on in either don't do work for hime or make him purchase 2 hour blocks of time in advance and keep a record of time spent

 

[timeshifter]

3 Communications by email
25 minutes of communication by phone
6 communications by text
4 Short logins to his computer

Every communication by text should count as at least a 5 minute interruption of your day, even if it's just a yes or no type question that you don't have to think about. It's one interruption that probably takes 5 minutes to get back to what your doing with the same level of concentration. I'd scrutinize all that time spent and really put a number on it. It'd probably about 3 x $55. Send him a new bill and itemize all of that, then show the good will discount and only ask for the $55.

Or, just politely fire him. Don't make him the bad guy. Let him know that your business model has changed and you're now getting to 100% focus on your monthly subscribers, and as a result you're not really set up to effectively handle random calls and text and bill appropriately for them. Explain that since he was a long time client you kept him on out of loyalty, but it's just not a good fit any more and wish him well.

Of course you could also offer to put him on your monthly business plan. He might actually go for it. Assuming you want him still. Maybe offer it for a six month trial run.