Anyone’s Bitch

After I’ve completed the assignment, he tells me he can’t pay that much. He’s a bit short on cash, waiting for his own clients to come around. Maybe on Thursday, he’ll know how much he can pay.

He says, the last batch of work weren’t nearly this expensive. I tell him, we had a different deal then. We agreed on a price and it didn’t matter how many hours I put into it. This time we agreed on an hourly charge, and every time he has called with more changes, another hour were added to the bill. But no, he can’t let a sketch assignment rake up this cost. It’s unreasonable.

I tell him he would never try haggling the price – after the work is done – with another company. He only does it with me, because I’m not a real business person. He says, well, there can be some negotiation when you place large orders. You can get a better price. I say sure, but you’d never place such orders with me. But I’ve got more work for you, he says. That would be a reason to lower the price, knowing you’ll get more work. I say sure, but how do I know when that is? Next month, or next winter?

But I have already lost. My spirit wanes. I’m sitting on all the files, the overview and all the sketches and blueprints, and something forbids me to tell him that I’m all he’s got.

I could say, sure, take your business elsewhere, find a design student to do your future models and blueprints for you. Let them start from scratch, with nothing, and learn by trial and error, by trying and failing and trying and failing a little bit better. That sure won’t cost anything.

Or you can take it to a professional engineer for three times the price.

But I don’t say anything. Because it seems heartless. And because I don’t have another big client begging me to work for them. Because I’m not in a position to turn anyone down.

So I let him humiliate me. I let him explain how I’m being unreasonable, and that I need to learn proper business practice. I propose to withdraw the cost of rendering time. And, I’ll let him pay later than what’s stated on my invoice. And, I’ll be open for discussion about the next project.

Because it’s true, I’m not a business person. I have no spine. I never figured out how to win arguments. Anyone can make me do anything for nothing.