24 February 2009

Client dump

I bit the bullet this morning and dumped my fickle client. I have no regrets. The email I sent yesterday that went unanswered was answered this morning - it was a public holiday in my client's country and they hadn't bothered to inform me.

It was the last straw.

I had a long chat on the phone this morning to the director who pays my invoices and what he had to tell me was not good. It underlined that my desire to walk away was right and the director was fully supportive of my decision (what I've been through is beyond the director's control).

So I composed a firm but polite email to the department abroad, explaining why I was quitting. Half an hour later, they sent me more work! I did it, making it clear that would be the very last piece. The company is in a mess and I have no wish to be caught up in the internal politicking.

And, whaddyaknow! As I quietly shut the door behind me, another one opened when someone who'd enquired a month ago about offering me some copywriting work rang to say they definitely wanted to hire me. Result.

2 comments:

Mrs Woffington said...

Good for you! This is one of the bonuses of being a freelance after all: walking away if they treat you badly.

Unknown said...

I feel so unburdened!

Very amusingly, after I posted this entry the client responded to my resignation email by suggesting it was my fault I hadn't realised it was a public holiday there seeing as I'd worked for the company for so long. I retorted that my duties did not include keeping tabs on public holidays abroad and it was their responsibility to have had the courtesy to let me know.

All of which further confirms I was right to quit. Sometimes you have to walk away. The secret is knowing when the time is right. Which it definitely was this morning.