Charging for revisions cost me my top client. No regrets.

3 comments

3 Comments

Man, this hits on something I see all the time. It's like when you help people out for free, they just keep coming back with more asks. Putting a clear cost on things makes everyone stop and think twice. Why do we only respect limits when there's a price tag attached? I notice this with friends always wanting free advice or neighbors borrowing stuff. Setting those boundaries isn't just good for business, it's a life skill.

jessicab704mo ago

Yeah it's a tough spot but honestly charging for them is what saved my sanity. I mean, when I did free unlimited edits, clients would just keep changing their minds forever. Now I give two rounds in the first price, and spell out that more cost extra. It actually makes them think harder before sending notes. Maybe it's just me but losing a client who wants endless free work isn't really a loss in the long run.

the_diana14d ago

Wait, hasn't setting boundaries just become the only way to stay sane in any kind of work that involves other people's ideas? You're totally right that charging for extra rounds is a lifesaver, but I'd argue it's about more than just the money. Putting a price tag on changes forces clients to actually think about what they want before they ask for it, which saves everyone's time (and patience). Free revisions just make people lazy with their feedback, like they'll throw in any random thought without considering if it's really necessary. And honestly, the clients who get weird about reasonable limits are usually the ones who'd be a nightmare long-term anyway. Setting that boundary early weeds out the difficult ones before they can waste months of your life.