Clients pushing it too far - extra stuff etc?

[BrilloPad]

I don't answer my work contacts at weekends.

WSS

plus I have in the past done very long days - I just invoiced for extra days. Once I worked 24 hours straight and invoiced for 3 days.

[CheeseSlice]

WSS

plus I have in the past done very long days - I just invoiced for extra days. Once I worked 24 hours straight and invoiced for 3 days.

[CheeseSlice]

Have we done 'priority changes'?

Every place I've worked during my contracting life I've been subject to clientcos priority changes. These are borderline control IMO, without actually being D&C. Currently clientco is a p*ss taking priority changer. I'm the only contractor in my role and clientco has me signed up to multiple projects, so they're rescheduling what I'm going to be working on the next week to fit around their changing priorities.
They've been good on the staying out of IR35 side so far. Not putting me on the org chart, excluding me from any form of team meeting, no timesheet other than agency, no reporting, no boss, treated like any other supplier, etc.

Whilst I try to be flexible to help them out with changing priorities, there is an invisible line where they're not supposed to cross, and they're just starting to cross it lately. Its the equivalent of asking a plasterer to stop plastering a wall half way though, because something else just became more important. This puts me in the awkward position that I'm going to have to put my foot down and appear unhelpful.
Shame really, its an absolute goldmine that I can see turning from 6 into 12-18 months of work.

[cojak]

That's the time to move on.

[psychocandy]

But you always get the awkward git of a client who thinks that you are obliged to.

I once recently had my phone and laptop switched off for most of one morning, when I was on a week's pre-arranged absence from work. I switched on at 11:00 and got a string of texts, voicemails, and emails, increasingly strident, ending with the statement that he had tried to contact me all morning and I hadn't replied, and that was not acceptable.

BTW there was nothing wrong with any of my work, it was just some new "requirements" from the business. And I had arranged not to be at work that week. The permie PM just didn't understand the concept of not being at work or available for work.

I agreed 100% that something was totally unacceptable, I just differed as to what. That's why it is a previous contract, not a current contract.

Thats really taking the piss. Sod that like.

I find this is often the problem with a PM. They're getting paid to get things done so they dont care who they upset or what process they shortcut to get it done.

Funnily enough, I find contractor PMs to be the worse (I guess they live and die on whether the project gets done on time).

However, I'm always of the opinion that he who shouts loudest can **** off. Be nice to me and explain how important something is and Im likely to give extra, kick off and act like a twat and I'm out the door on time.

[nomadd]

Thats really taking the piss. Sod that like.

I find this is often the problem with a PM. They're getting paid to get things done so they dont care who they upset or what process they shortcut to get it done.

Funnily enough, I find contractor PMs to be the worse (I guess they live and die on whether the project gets done on time).

However, I'm always of the opinion that he who shouts loudest can **** off. Be nice to me and explain how important something is and Im likely to give extra, kick off and act like a twat and I'm out the door on time.

Perfect (2) ^

More +rep given.

[jmo21]

But you always get the awkward git of a client who thinks that you are obliged to.

I once recently had my phone and laptop switched off for most of one morning, when I was on a week's pre-arranged absence from work. I switched on at 11:00 and got a string of texts, voicemails, and emails, increasingly strident, ending with the statement that he had tried to contact me all morning and I hadn't replied, and that was not acceptable.

BTW there was nothing wrong with any of my work, it was just some new "requirements" from the business. And I had arranged not to be at work that week. The permie PM just didn't understand the concept of not being at work or available for work.

I agreed 100% that something was totally unacceptable, I just differed as to what. That's why it is a previous contract, not a current contract.

Quick email, text, voicemail back at 6pm, sorry, been out with kids/wife/doing gardening all day etc just picked up your messages.

If you get any chat about "unacceptable", tell them that no arrangements were made for availability when not in office.

Better still don't give them your home\mobile number if there are no arrangements in place.

[scooby]

However, I'm always of the opinion that he who shouts loudest can **** off. Be nice to me and explain how important something is and Im likely to give extra, kick off and act like a twat and I'm out the door on time.

My kind of techie to deal with, and one i will always buy a coffee for while discussing the tulip flying around!! Not all contractor PM are bad mate

[SimonMac]

This is why I have two phones, my personal one and a "burn phone" that anyone at client co can have but I only answer when I billing, which the SIM card is thrown away at the end of the gig

[blacjac]

Its the equivalent of asking a plasterer to stop plastering a wall half way though, because something else just became more important. This puts me in the awkward position that I'm going to have to put my foot down and appear unhelpful.
Shame really, its an absolute goldmine that I can see turning from 6 into 12-18 months of work.

What if you hired a plasterer to plaster all the walls in your house, and when he was half way through one of the bedroom ones, the wife threw an iron at you in the living room, you ducked and it went through the wall there. You ave guests coming round and want it to look presentable.

Would you expect the plasterer to stamp his feet and spit his dummy out because your priorities have changed? Or would you expect him to just do the fookin job?

D&C my arse.