photo by Chris Lim

10 Things to Do When a Customer Rejects Your Work

Having a client tell you that he doesn't like your work can break your heart in two. Not only can it affect your confidence, but it can also affect the way that you work on future projects. When a customer tells you the words that you don't want to hear, you have to try to pull yourself together and put a new perspective on the situation. There are many reasons why the customer might not like your work. Maybe it is something specific that he doesn't like, or maybe he doesn't like it because of corporate red type sort of guidelines. If you don't ask, you won't know.

There are a few things that you should do to make sure that this situation ends in a positive fashion. Here are 10 things that you must consider if you are in a position where a customer doesn't like the job that you are doing.

(1) Keep Calm and don't raise your voice or act in a rude fashion towards the client.

(2) Don't get over-defensive as you will end up sounding like a child.

(3) Don't play the blame game. If you need to, politely mention that you weren't given the proper instructions or information, etc.

(4) Ask the client specific questions to find out what he / she didn't like about your work.

(5) Find out what you can do to make this situation right.

(6) If this is a first draft, then tell the client. Explain that first drafts are a way to get on the same page with each other and that it is natural not to love the first draft. Ensure the customer that the 2nd draft will be much better and much closer to the final product.

(7) Remember that this happens to everyone. This doesn't mean that you stink at what you do.

(8) Don't fall into a depression that leads to a career change. You are good at what you do. You know this. Don't let one client's opinion affect the rest of your life.

(9) Learn from your mistakes.

(10) Don't end it badly with the customer. Make sure that you are professional because acting badly will just make things even worst.

Below you will find many articles online that I have found that will help you with even more advice. You will love some of the articles below.

When a Client Doesn’t Like Your Work - This article caters to situations when you’ve really done all you could…like when a client says “Just write my website…it’s about Topic A and you can research that on the Web,” or “I like pink and black, make a logo out of that.” It’s geared towards circumstances when the client says, “You’re the professional, I trust your judgment,” and doesn’t give you a lot to go on, despite all of your prodding for more information.

When Your Client Hates Your Work – The author had a bad experience with a customer who hated her work. Here's what this experience taught her…you can learn from her challenged project.

How To Cope With Rejection As A Freelancer - Is there anything more rattling than those few seconds after clicking the “Send” button when submitting an article to a publication? Your heart skips a beat. You briefly live out a nightmare where you envision the editor screaming to himself, “What the hell is this? Is this guy serious? Stop wasting my time!”

Tips for Freelance Writers: How to Handle a Dissatisfied Client - Unfortunately, you can't always spot them before you spend thirty hours writing something that they've requested.

Handling Client-Designer Breakups - Breakups happen to the best client-designer matches. Client runs out of money, client finds someone cheaper, client switches businesses and just no longer needs a design guru. It’s inconvenient and ego-deflating, and but there are ways a freelance designer can come out of the situation more business savvy.

How to Turn an Angry Client into a Loyal Client with One Little Word - An angry client is an opportunity for the smart freelancer. It’s like getting struck by lightening. Don’t panic! You’re human and there’s no way to be totally calm when a client is angry. But you need to keep your head clear. How? By remembering one word: ANGER.

Facing Rejection - Facing rejection can be a bit hard at time. But it does happen no matter where we are and what we do. We will some how face this kind of rejection and we must not forget to learn from it. No no, this rejection that i faced recently wasn't from any girl, but its from a client.

Handling Client Complaints - As we know, most businesses fail. Don't do what they do; do something different. The impact that dissatisfied clients can have on your business can be devastating. You need to seek out and deal with every dissatisfied client.

Managing Client Expectations - The following tips should help to alleviate some of this stress, and help to strengthen your reputation as a rock-solid professional.

Fix it if its Broke - So, can this relationship be saved? Indeed, it can. And as the company owner whose a$$ is on the line, you better get started ASAP.

Handling Rejection - Part of any home business is knowing how to handle rejection. Oftentimes, we as business people take rejection personally. Instead, we need to recognize that rejection usually means that it is not the right time for the potential customer. Of course, our attitude, demeanor, and appearance can attract or repel people. But ultimately, rejection is simply a way of someone saying "it's not the right time."

How to Think Like a Client - Clients are evil… at least it can feel that way sometimes. They seem to hinder more than help and so often they “just don’t get it”. We can talk enthusiastically about accessibility, standards and best practice but so often we are met with the blank stare of indifference from clients.

Web Design: Managing a Client’s Expectations - Web design can be frustrating without content. Starting a site’s design before the content for that site is fully developed can be a costly mistake. It often leads to designs that are sub par or that don’t fit with the final content. Knowing that is only half of the battle. The other battle is helping clients understand that, which is where this post comes into play.

5 Steps to Improved Client Feedback - From my experience these clients can be a bit more difficult to work with, not because they are hard to please or unreasonable in their expectations, but simply because they don’t always understand how much of an impact they need to have on the process. They hire a designer to create the site and they just assume that the designer can do what is needed.

What to Do When A Customer Wants to Fire You - So, one of your long-established clients calls up and says she’s been told by another business partner that your prices are too high. She wants to meet soon to discuss the future of the relationship. Here’s how to regain your composure and prepare for the meeting to come.

A Freelance Writer’s Blueprint for Handling Rejection - How should a freelance writer deal with rejection? Here is my own personal blueprint for handling rejection.

After Rejection - The Next Step in Freelance Writing - The First Rejection of Your Writing is a Badge of Courage. I've said that getting your first rejection is the first step in building a successful freelance writing career. And it's true; it's also true that what you do after your first writing rejection is critically important.

Turning Rejection into Success - If turning photography into income has a downside, it’s this: it doesn’t always work. You’ll pitch for jobs you won’t get, enter competitions you won’t win and submit images to stock companies who will send them back encouraging you to try again.

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