client leaving and coming back can I raise my price?

e1234

Mon, Oct 12 2009, 12:12 pm

I had a client who was a good client for a number of years always paying on time. (which is rare)
last year he left me and I didn't hear from him for a year.
today he called me up telling me he had worked with indians for a year but it was getting nowhere and he wanted to work with me again.
dh thinks I should raise my price. It's over a year and prices do go up (though for old clients I didn't really raise so much) I'm not sure what to do - I know he went to the indians because he wanted cheaper.
He used to be a very good client and paying on time is important to me.

Should I tell him I'm raising my hourly price or not? (I work for him hourly)

Marion

Mon, Oct 12 2009, 12:40 pm

I'd let him know that your overall rate has gone up...but in appreciation of the fact that he IS an "existing" client, and because he's always been good about paying on time, you're giving him a little bit of a discount. And I'd split the difference between his old rate and your new one.

Fox

Mon, Oct 12 2009, 1:47 pm

Not only would I most definitely raise the rate, I might even add a little bit extra for my aggravation. These kinds of clients drive me insane. They're never truly satisfied because they're always scouting a better deal somewhere else. Then they want you to treat them as loyal customers rather than the disloyal bargain hunters they really are.

Discounts and special considerations should be reserved for clients who are genuinely committed to a long-term business relationship, not people who jump ship every time they think they can save $1.98.

greenfire

Mon, Oct 12 2009, 2:30 pm

absolutely - if for nothing else except the chutzpah ... he obviously is satisfied with your work - yet left for the reservation ... it cost to move back inland ... Shooting Arrow

e1234

Mon, Oct 12 2009, 2:41 pm

Quote:

in this case this client was not like that at all. He was one of my easiest clients - but I'm sure the lure of work for $5 an hour gets everyone. This is not the first time this happened to me that someone left to find cheaper only to come back with a mess of a project asking me to fix it. In the end you get what you pay for. Only because he was a good client in the past is pushing me not to raise it - if it was someone who would be a new pain I would forsure raise it.