Me: You want a set of posters using the 13 quotes you supplied, can I add images to the poster to give visual strength to each quote?

Client: Yes! But I don’t want to pay for stock imagery. Just use some of your original work – that way I don’t have to pay extra.

Me: You think if I take the photos, they’ll be free?

Client: …Yeah?

Me: Ok, so we’ll just use text with no photos.

I design and make custom Championship-level dance costumes. Typical prices range from $600 for a boy’s outfit to $2000 for an adult lady’s dress and I charge a $300 non-refundable deposit.

Client: I dance for [well-known dance school] and I’d like you to make me a dress.

Me: Great, I’d be happy to! Just pay the deposit, and if you could send me some ideas as to what you would like, we can start the process and I can give you a price quote as to what your dress will cost and approximate delivery date.

Client: I will. I look forward to the dress, I love your designs so much!

Three weeks of no deposit, but she does send her measurements and plenty of pictures of dresses she likes. Then an email.

Client: Hi, I just wanted to ask when the dress will be finished?

Me: …You haven’t paid the deposit yet. I haven’t started.

Client: What deposit?

Me: The $300 so we can get started. It’s in the contract you signed.

Client: $300 just to get started? But I can only pay $300 for the whole dress! You know I’m a student! Can you not do it as a favour? I’ll be a great example for your art.

Me: No thank you. There are already plenty of dancers wearing my dresses. Are you prepared to pay?

Client: Of course not, I don’t have that kind of money. You are a bad person for taking advantage of a broke student.

I figured I could live with that.

I make custom items from metal, which involve machining, designing, etching, installing electronics, etc.

I was working with a client who I realized would be well served with a design I'd started on my own time.

Me: I have an incomplete design that could be modified to suit your needs.

Client: Will that knock the price down?

Me: No. most of what I'm charging for doesn't change and besides, I should be paid for the design work I've already done.

Client: Will it make it any quicker?

Me: Maybe a little, but there is no real difference to you.

Lesson to me: don't tell the client if you're using previous work. Lesson to the client: DESIGN DOESN'T HAVE "DISCOUNTED FLOOR MODELS." 

I work as a graphic designer for a small family-owned sign company. Whenever a client comes in and places an order we usually need a down payment before we can begin working on anything, and therefore before we send any proofs for approval.

Client: Can you please proceed with the banner?

Me: Once you send payment I will begin work!

Client: Are you going to send me the proof before I pay?

Me: I am sorry Ma'am, as per company policy we can’t send any proofs before a payment is made.

Client: I’ve always gotten the proofs before paying. I absolutely need this by Friday. Please don’t hold things up over payment.

She then called my manager, who told me to just send her the proof. I did. This was at noon.

I waited until the end of the day to jump on any changes. She didn’t send them. I went home. The next morning I came to work and we still hadn’t received anything. She also wasn’t answering her phone. 

It’s Friday now, we still haven’t heard from her. I think at this point we can all agree that if it doesn’t get printed on time, it’s on her – not our payment policy.

I’m a student freelancer who happens to volunteer at a mountain-valley research facility. Recently, we had a group of bankers come in to learn about the impacts the environment has on economics. They were impressed that I was so young and knew what I wanted to do in life and spent a lot of the convo buttering me up about my art and animations.

Client: So we’ve been thinking about getting animations and art redone for the program and website. Maybe when we visit next week, we could talk to you about it!

Me: Oh, uh sure! I’m a bit busy with this volunteer job but I’d be happy to give you my information and contact you after I go home.

Client: Cool! Theoretically, how long would it take and how much?

Me: Um, depending, it can range from ______ to ______ for time and $______ to $______ for price!

The whole table laughed, making my ears go hot.

Client: Wow, so young but already have eyes of green, huh? Maybe we can negotiate that.

I get that I’m young and not totally experienced, but I’m not going to undersell myself just because a bunch of mid-aged people say so. 

I wanted to stick up for myself and say something snippy (they weren’t paying me yet after all), but I was so embarrassed and insulted.

Client: I want a refund for my logo, I'm not happy with it.

Me: Why? You where excited a month ago when we issued it.

Client: Well my family made me choose it, I said I liked it because they liked it.

We produced 45+ prelim sketches, then 15+ refined concepts before she settled on the one she liked. THEN we had multiple revisions until it was "perfect," and she still rejected it.

No refund was issued.

Except for the url, this is copied verbatim from a job board

Client: SEARCHING FREE LANCHE (sic) DESIGNER

I am in need of a remote graphic designer to help my customers create designs. 1-3 Hours per day and can be basically anytime throughout the day. I am very flexible. This will be on going for next 9 months.

Website is [www.XXX.com]

Customers will email us through website requesting design assistance. You will communicate with the customer through emails and work on their design proofs, till they are satisfied and place their order. At times you could have over 10 customers to work with. The artboard stays the same but designs constantly change.

Must be proficient in, Photoshop and Dropbox

Please email if interested with work and hours you can give.

Job Type: Part-time

Salary: This is an unpaid position.

A super popular fan account for an NFL team posted that they were looking for a designer to create custom YouTube thumbnails. I reached out to throw my hat in the ring because I figured it would be easy side gig money. They responded and asked if I could check out their channel and redesign a couple thumbnails to "see my style." I generally don't do spec work for free, but I had the time and they were pretty simple so it only took an hour.

Client: WOW we love your work! We noticed you do this professionally - would you be wanting to get paid for these thumbnails?

Me: Uh... yes.

Client: (no response, ever)

I have been in concert photography for some time and when I was starting up I used to shoot for free for some venues to get my name out there. 

I mostly stopped doing that but some venues still invite me expecting me to do free work. This particular venue has been spamming me this summer so this conversation happened:

Client: Hey! It's the last week before we close down for summer. There's two concerts scheduled this week, would you like to shoot one of these? 

Me: I am free to shoot the Thursday concert! Do you have a budget for these concerts? 

Client: Unfortunately not. We have a policy not to pay for concert photos. 

Me:  Well, let me know when the policy changes. I changed my policy about working for free.