Overcharging clients for rush work backfired on me last month

I used to tack on a flat 50% rush fee for any project under a week. Last month a client in Austin paid it without blinking, then left a public review calling me a money grabber after seeing my standard timeline was only 3 days longer. That one review cost me about $4,000 in lost leads. Has anyone else had a rush fee policy blow up in their face like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles_henderson8d ago

Heard a podcast with a pricing consultant who said visible rush fees basically tell clients you're just waiting to squeeze them. Makes sense because that review thing is brutal, a single bad review can tank your local rep way harder than you'd think. You might try rolling the rush cost into the main quote instead of listing it separate, that way the client just sees one price and doesn't feel like they're getting hit with a penalty.

emmar757d ago

Wait, did that review actually say "money grabber" in those exact words? That stings so bad, especially when you were just trying to protect your time for a legitimate reason. I honestly think your problem wasn't the fee itself but how visible it was. Clients see that separate line item and it feels like a penalty, even if your standard work is great. Rolling it into the main quote like the other person said makes total sense, that way they just see one fair price without feeling like they're being nickel and dimed. Also, maybe offer a small discount if they can fit the normal timeline next time to smooth things over. That one bad review really does hurt way more than most people expect, I've been there and it sucks.