If you work in an agency, do freelance work, or have to deal with clients in your current position, then you probably already know how to spot one of these “problem” clients. Their emails are always marked “high priority.” They think it's the most ordinary thing in the world to call you at 12am for an update because they need somebody to hold their hands and tell them it is going to be alright.
They often work on weekends and well into the night and assume everyone else does too. “Always-urgent” clients think they are your only client. Their job is their first priority and they think that it should therefore be your highest priority.
Advantages
They usually tend to give feedback on work relatively quickly They are not the biggest fans of prolonged discussions and inefficient and frequent meetings They generally know when they are being unreasonable They do their best to pay you quicklyDrawbacks
They are stressed all the time which is infectious and it will get you too They always want the output as soon as possible and don't take into account that you just received the briefing, and haven't had as much time to think about it as them They make repeated late night work requestsHow to handle them
Know that everything will be desperate and require breakneck speed; decide whether the job is worth the inconvenience. Ask a lot of questions and understand their perspective as soon as possible.
Make it clear when their requests are unreasonable, right from the beginning; be reasonable yourself and show them the problem instead of getting into arguments.
Enter into a contract with them instead of an hourly rate.
A word of caution
At any given time, having multiple “always-urgent” clients can lead to severely stressful situations, as everything is needed right now! So unless you thrive on pressure, you are advised to limit engaging the number of this type of client.
