I've run into cheapskate welchers like that, myself, and I think you handled it as well as could be expected. What I've learned: always have a work order. Doesn't have to be fancy. The top part summarizes the work involved ("recover database"), states estimated number of hours ("~7") and specifies hourly rate ("$50"). I sign it, the client signs it, and we each get a copy. When the work's done, I fill in the the bottom part: actual hours ("4" - which is less than the estimate) and notes on what I did ("fixed it" - there's always something you can jot in there). We sign again.
Then I send them a bill and they declare bankruptcy, but that's another story.
The thing is, you have to feel pretty confident about how long it's going to take, or be prepared to ask them to amend the work order. And you can't cover yourself by overestimating, because you don't want a Chicken Little reputation. But if you had a work order, I think that guy wouldn't have tried to pull what he did.
If you still want to try to salvage the business, it might not be too late: take it to writing. Send him a nice letter, starting, "As we discussed by phone, I put in 7 hours recovering your database on thus-and-such date, and we've agreed that you'll pay me for four hours at $50", etc. and so forth. "I appreciate having had the opportunity to work with you, and hope you'll think of Myke's Overworked and Underpriced Services when next you need to cheat somebody out of his hard-earned dollars." (You might want to re-work that last sentence a bit.) |
