I work in a small screen printing shop. My boss seemingly likes to do as little as possible and so never gets the complete info from his customers for designs. He sent an email with a logo attached:

Boss: Please mock this up on a cap/

I did and sent off the proof.

Boss: They want the logo in a circle like a patch.

I looked and noticed in the long thread of emails with the customer that, yup, they asked for it to look like a patch. New proof sent.

Boss: Add a thick red outline around the circle.

Sigh. OK. New Proof sent.

Another email, boss writes nothing so from experience I look to the customers replies copied below. They wanted just a part of the logo in the patch, not the entire logo.

Why couldn't you just get all that up front? Is it just too hard?

Some years ago, we were working with a big client but we didn't seem to understand each other. Their expectations never ever met with the work we delivered.

Client: We need to set weekly meetings to make sure the project's results are exactly what we requested. 

Me: Ok, no problem. In order to seize the time more efficiently, I will email you all the work as soon as it's done and I expect you to send some feedback before the meeting so we can discuss the issues there.

Client: Sounds great.

Next meeting:

Me: Hi everyone. We didn't receive any feedback about our work. Have you read my emails? Is there any doubt?

Client: Well actually, I don't read emails. I don't have the time to do that.

Oof. There's disrespect and then there's DIS-RESPECT. When's the last time your client was this ridiculous? 

I was hired as a graphic designer for a spa which is in lockdown due to COVID. I often get requests from the owner who is insane, to design a newsletter but she doesn't give me any content, or copy or direction.  The meeting goes like this:

Client: Do you have any artwork to show me?

Me: You were supposed to get me copy/content for the newsletter, I sent you an email about it. There's a campaign document you started that has the areas where you need to add text...

Client: Oh I don't read long emails, I don't like working on complicated Google Docs. You don't have any art work to show me?

Me: It's your Google doc, I just added "Need Text" in certain areas. No, I have nothing to show you as you need to provide a creative brief on what you would like to see. What products are you promoting and when is the sale?

Client: Well, you should tell me what you need and when you need the information by.

Me: The list of deliverables you requested and timelines for when copy and content is listed in the campaign document you first created.

Client: I don't like this document, it's too complicated. I don't like things in tables.

I was working with a client who thought we were pals (despite me never giving any signs to that effect). He used to tell me harrowing stories about his ex-wife, who he didn't like very much, but was COMPLETELY unaware that he was the villain in the story. 

He told this story about his wife getting drunk at a party after a fight they'd had and how she'd made a fool of herself and he just left her there. He said this like it was funny, and when I didn't laugh:

Client: Not laughing, huh? I guess you feel sorry for me.

No, jackass, I feel sorry for your wife. 

Client: I'm glad we're working with you. The last designer we had, Claire, she was terrible. Just an awful designer, I don't know why I kept her on for so long.

Me: Do you mean Claire _____?

Client: Why, do you know her?

She was a good friend of mine, and a designer I really admired.

I kept the contract short on this one. 

I was giving a client three concepts. They'd given me no direction, and just asked me to "use my imagination," which... you know. I'd done my best to put together a solid spread of concepts based on NO information. I showed my first:

Client: Hate it.

Second: 

Client: This is TERRIBLE.

I was starting to sweat. Third: 

Client: This is great! Why did you waste my time with that other garbage?

I'm glad they liked it, but also... f*** you man. I did my best with no information. 

I’m the staff videographer in the marketing department of a multi-million dollar organization. A few weeks ago, I showed up to a project meeting with the head of another department only to have him tell me that he had recruited a student intern to produce this particular video for him. He made it clear that she (the intern) was supposed to run the show, but it would be a good idea for me to supervise, especially since she might need to use some of our gear. I was insulted, but shrugged it off because hey – it was one less project, and the department was notoriously difficult to work with.

I spent the day of the shoot setting up the company gear for the intern to film the cringe-worthy script that she and the department head had agreed on. Only after we packed up was I informed that since the intern didn’t own a computer, she would need to schedule time in-between her classes to come to my office and use my computer to edit the video. Despite the complete absurdity of this request, I’ve spent the last three mornings awkwardly sitting in the guest chair of my own office watching a college student (who very clearly has zero editing experience) struggle to do my job for me.

I now have less faith in my company’s competence than they apparently have in mine.

A blast from the past from the Clients From Hell archives!

I'm a photographer specializing in "boudoir" and sexy-style shots. I'm a woman, and most of my clients are other ladies looking for someone supportive since taking semi-nude photos is sort of vulnerable. 

I actually get a lot of referrals from my city's burlesque scene, which is super cool, and I'm worked with some really cool folx this way. Normally, it's a lot of smiles, laughs, and good times. Not so much this time. 

This client reached out to me because someone had mentioned my name - I'm not sure who. Things took a turn when I showed up.

Client: You're late, kitten. 

I arrived at 3:01 PM with all my gear. We'd said 3:00.

The client second guessed every decision - all the lighting, all of my gear, everything. I couldn't do anything without her demanding an explanation. 

Client: I'm a pro, honey. Don't try to pull a fast one on me. 

I honestly couldn't tell if she was hitting on me or not. It was kind of right on the line. Anyway, she had me take a few photos of her in her "signature" burlesque costumes, and... I want to be nice, but I'd worked with a lot of girls, and these costumes weren't very good. She was very pretty, but they didn't fit well, and they looked super costume-y. Still, I didn't figure she'd appreciate me telling her that, so I kept my lips zipped and did the shoot without comment.

When I sent her all the photos, she was furious.

Client: I look TERRIBLE. You made my outfits look cheap! I hate to say it, but this is amateur hour, sugar. 

I don't mean to brag, but I'm good at what I do. I'd taken countless photos of her colleagues and they all looked great.

She gave me two options: an entire reshoot or a total refund. I opted for the latter. 

Next time I did a shoot with someone else in the scene, I dropped her name just to see what would happen. They screamed. 

Some jobs are nightmares start to finish. What's the client story that keeps YOU up at night?