Why does nobody talk about client emails that go totally silent?

I had a client just VANISH for 3 weeks after I sent a draft. No reply, no payment, nothing. I thought maybe they hated it so I started revising for free in my head. Turns out they went on a cruise and just forgot to tell me. Now I always put a 48 hour follow-up rule in my contracts. Has anyone else dealt with ghost clients like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliver8118d ago

Three weeks of silence gave me enough anxiety to start rewriting their project in my sleep, which is both sad and hilarious because my dreams don't bill hourly lol. I now put a 48-hour rule in my contracts too, mostly so my brain stops writing apology emails for work nobody asked me to do. Ghost clients are basically free training for becoming a professional worst-case scenario thinker.

matthewross8d ago

Is it possible that 48-hour rule is causing more problems than it solves though? I get the anxiety, I really do, but in my experience some clients just work slower or have their own internal approvals that take time. I've had clients go quiet for two weeks then come back with a big check and a "sorry, had a family thing." The 48-hour thing might chase off people who are serious but just move at a different pace. I guess I'd rather risk a little silence than make someone feel rushed when they're not ready to talk.