When I describe myself as a “bit cheeky”, what I’m saying is that I am a playful person, and that I can see the lighter side of life.
I’ve been told many a time that I have a cheeky smile or a cheeky grin. In fact just this week a new subscriber to my business website said they liked the “cheeky photo” at the bottom of my email newsletter! (Interested? You can sign up for the Front Page Web Writing monthly newsletter here.)
I know a lot about being cheeky. After all, “Cheeky” was the name of the penpal newsletter I started with a friend back in year 9!
However, there is a whole ‘nother side to the word “cheeky” – where it translates as:
- slightly rude;
- showing a lack of respect;
- a bit bold or brash;
- and over-stepping the mark.
I’ve been astonished at how many times I’ve had to deal with cheeky clients since starting my own business. Maybe it really only becomes noticeable when you have your own business, rather than working as an employee – because it becomes personal.
The Most Common Cheeky Clients
So cheeky clients? Yeah, I’ve had a few of them. Here are some of the more common scenarios I’ve encountered over my six years in business:
- People (posing as potential clients) who want to meet you for a “coffee” so they can pick your brain – when they have no intention of actually hiring your services. They might pay for your coffee, but it’s not much compensation when you think about what I could be earning if I was actually at my desk doing work for that hour or so instead …
- The clients who want you to provide goods or services for free because it’s “great exposure” – common in the arts, or marketing industries. I’m sorry, but I don’t think you’d find too many builders, plumbers, lawyers or dentists who would work for free because you’ve agreed to tell all your friends and share it on social media!
- I’ve also come across tradies who think I don’t have the right to charge “so much” (ie around THEIR hourly rate) because it’s not “real work” (physical labour).
- Then there are the clients who don’t pay on time, but keep sending you work, expecting you to drop everything and prioritise their needs. I’ve gotta tell you – it’s really hard to get motivated to do work when you know it could be months before you get paid for it.
Clients that Make you go Hmmm …
Now I’m not going to name and shame anybody, but if you thought the previous examples were bad, just wait, there’s more!
- Like the potential client who abused me for not answering his phone call and letting it go to message bank (when I’m in the middle of an involved project, I don’t like distractions which interrupt my train of thought). Um hello?! If he was elbow deep in a greasy car engine, I’ll bet he wouldn’t answer his mobile either!
- Then there was the client who let slip that he was trying out all different marketing agencies for different jobs … chopping and changing at will … wondering why he wasn’t getting any results?! (There is a happy ending to this story. One of his other agencies loved my work so much they got in touch with me, and even though that particular client and I have long since parted ways, the agency has sent me a steady stream of work ever since!)
- I was a bit stung when a client told me they could purchase blog posts from an article library online, much more cheaply than from me. While I (politely) explained why that wasn’t necessarily a great idea for several reasons – the content isn’t unique which isn’t good for your SEO, and often it’s written in fractured English by non native speakers, to name just two – they still chose to go with the article library. (I didn’t burn any bridges because they might just be back once they realise that you get what you pay for!)
- Or how about the time a client didn’t bother telling me they were having a complete redesign of the website I’d built for them a couple of years earlier, and would no longer need me to update and maintain it. The first I knew of it was when I went to log in – and couldn’t!
Are you shaking your head in disbelief? I know I am just looking back on these stories!
Apparently it’s not just copywriters that encounter cheeky clients. My favourite hairdresser told me that she sometimes get customers who supervise every strand she snips from their head – so she ends up saying “I’ll just give you the scissors then shall I?”. While it might be said in jest, it usually gets the point across!
No matter what the industry, I’m sure we all come across the odd customer who is “not backwards in coming forwards”.
If there’s one upside of cheeky clients, it’s that they really make you appreciate the wonderful customers who really value your knowledge, skills and experience, and the work that you do for them!
Got a story of your own about cheeky clients? Feel free to share it in the comments below!