If a client is taking too long to get back to you and a deadline is looming near how would you act towards that client? Would you bump up the price of your service as the deadline won't be met due to the client's negligence? Or would you brush it off? Considering you've give the client plenty of time to respond and contacted them through various methods including phone and email...

Just keep "reminding" them...

Have you anything in your contract (or do you have a contract at all?) with them? Depending on the nature of the job, you may wish to give advance notice of increased charges if it seems appropriate. Otherwise, if it's practical, say you are prepared to negotiate a new deadline if they need more time.

 

Regardless of that (though consider including clauses covering this in a contract for future clients), you need to make it clear that you cannot be held responsible for not meeting deadline if they have not supplied any required content. I would both email with read receipt on and send a recorded delivery letter for good measure - a returned receipt and a signed for letter means you know it's been received, should it come to it.

It's as little easier to sort out if you've planned in the earlier stages of the project how to deal with a client not meeting their commitments. I would suggest incorporating the clients contribution as milestones defined during the initial planning stages of the project that the client commits to when agreeing the project proposal.

 

Make sure that your proposal includes a statement highlighting that the duration of the project, and the budget is dependant on all milestones being met (including those linked to the clients commitments). Should the client fail to deliver, you are in a better position to extend the project end date and to request any additional budget.

 

However, seeing as the project is already in full swing, you're going to need another approach. If you are still in a position to meet your commitment and deliver the project when you said you would, then contact the client stating that you need the 'blah' (content or images, or whatever it is you're waiting for) by a certain date. If this milestone is not met then you may need to extend the project duration and request a change to the budget in order to complete the project. Make sure you follow up any telephone conversations with an email clarifying what was discussed, and make sure you ask him in the email to confirm that he's happy with what you've minuted.

 

It depends on the relationship you have with the client, if they're reasonable they'll understand given the reasons you provide. However, as you haven't highlighted to them that delivery is dependant on their contribution, they may refuse.

 

Keep it professional and above board, and don't nag. Make it sound like you are trying to work with them. It may be that they're swamped and don't have the time to work on it. They may be happy to extend the project for a while.

Well I've given the client a last chance, considering I'm delaying working on other projects whilst working on get this one done I think it's only fair that I increase the price because I've stated countless times that I need the content by said date and delay any longer then the deadline will need to be pushed back thus me possibly missing out on other projects or delaying them...amateur mistake i guess, i've got a contract written up but nothing highlighting this issue, although me saying I'll bump up the price has seemed to get the client into gear

Well I've given the client a last chance, considering I'm delaying working on other projects whilst working on get this one done

 

Smart move, i tried to continue other projects whilst waiting for clients to get their hinds in gear. It ended up with three clients sending all their stuff at once, and then emailing me repeatedly on the hour every hour about why it wasn't done. And just them getting really irritated.

 

 

This might be something worth writing into future contracts though, learn from your bad experiences and all