Declining A Commission Tactfully?

[munemunenyo.livejournal.com]

Hello everybody! I've come seeking some advice that's got me in a bit of a bind.

I have a person who is a repeat customer of mine, however, I've come to feel that despite their patronage the headaches I get during a result of working with them is beginning to outweigh the business I get from them. They're incredibly picky to the point that I've had to scrap whole pieces because their initial commission requests were either vague in nature, or incredibly complicated to the point where I have to sacrifice some of the details they want for the sake of being anatomically correct. I thought I could nip the issue in the bud by updating my TOS to take care of these issues, but I find myself constantly repeating/quoting the "changes" section of my TOS to them.

It's gotten to the point where I dread seeing a new e-mail from them appear in my inbox and it's just causing a lot of stress for me. I would like to decline their commissions, but I really don't know how since as soon as I announce I'm open for them I get an e-mail from this user wanting something done. I don't want to come off as rude to this individual, but it's just gotten old/stressful to rework and rework pictures for them due to something that they didn't communicate to me when the time for corrections was given. I enjoy doing commission work and I've never had this issue with my other clients as they are able to communicate the changes they want during the appropriate time.

Any advice is appreciated and if there are any questions, I'd be glad to answer them! Thank-you so much in advanced!

[edit]: Wow, I woke up to so many amazing pieces of advice, I want to thank you all again!

Comments

[eveshka.livejournal.com]

I'd reply with something akin to:

Hi! I appreciate your willingness to commission me, but at this time, I don't feel that I have the time or ability to give your request the proper attention it would deserve. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience.

[dinogrrl.livejournal.com]

This is my suggestion as well.

[sigilgoat.livejournal.com]

This exact situation is why I've started doing more commissions where there is no review stage and the customer can't ask for changes, but I know that's not for everyone.

Also, there's a lot of power in just saying no when someone wants a commission or even changes, if you want to give them another chance. If they're a repeat customer, it might be worth it to just let them know that they've broken your TOS and have made it really hard on you as an artist to do work for them.

They might have no idea how stressful they actually are as a customer, and it might benefit them to know! If you think they have too much of an ego to listen, however, it might not be worth the effort to try and explain it, unfortunately. :/

Good luck!!

[sbneko.livejournal.com]

I'd like to add that it's quite possible that their reaction will not be great no matter how nicely you try to say things. I've had it happen before where I needed to decline and I was quite hounded due to it, insulted and just generally attacked. But in the end it was more worth it since it was over and done with.

So it's just a bit of a warning to be prepared for it and try to remember that you didn't do anything wrong. Some people, like me, get really affected when these things happen.

[sacch.livejournal.com]

This so much. I've been treated terribly for declining a commission before and dodging bullets when it comes to problem commissioners. Be prepared because if someone is mean enough, they'll retaliate by trying to drag your name through the mud.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this. You're definitely not doing anything wrong, but it's likely that they'll react badly no matter how you put it.

Personally I would just say "Sorry, I can't take any more commissions from you" and leave it at that. If you give a reason it's just an opening for them to argue with you. ("You say they're too complicated? I promise this next one will be simple!") Say no simply, and if they reply with anything other than a polite acceptance, ignore it and move on.

[skulldog.livejournal.com]

I think there always needs to be some level of honesty when declining, or people will continue to bounce around artists and do the same thing never knowing that they need to change their approach.

I'd perhaps say that with his tendency toward vague descriptions, and abundant revisions due to these, you feel you aren't the artist to suit his needs for what he has in mind. Thank him for past support as well.

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

If you want to try one last time you probably need to do two things, if you're not already doing them.

1. Create a form for commissioners to fill out that has everything very clearly listed on it. It's easy to create a form with something like Google docs.
so your form might have something like a spot for a a link to a reference, a specific line for eye color, is this character digitgrade or plantigrade, sex, list of piercings, list of markings, main body color, etc. so your details get put into a database sheet where you can quick look this up. You can make various questions required and just include in directions "put N/A if this is not applicable". (so a character with no tattoos you'd just mark N/A in the slot).
Plus what type of commission it is. sketch, inked, color, real vs digital, etc.

and you have all the data in one spot very clearly laid out which may eliminate some of the initial "argh, you did not tell me this". it's all there, very clearly organized.

2. If you haven't put it into a TOS yes, a very specific charge for changes beyond X number. You get X free, beyond that there's a charge. and of course, YOUR error is free, THEIR error is on their dime. If they told you blue eyes and have run through their free changes and now insist they told you green eyes, change is charged for.

since you now have everything in the spreadsheet, its very easy to keep track of what they told you instead of it being scattered across multiple messages.

You may still want to turn this person down, but those two together might fix your two main issues with them: vague initial description and too many changes at end.

[munemunenyo.livejournal.com]

This current commission I'm working on for them is probably the last I'll be doing.

I've gone the way of forms in the past, but the same issue cropped up (not with this user, but with others). I mainly used these for streaming sketches until commissioners would forget details such as age or posing. One commissioner freaked out over the fact that I was drawing two figures side-by-side standing instead of side-by-side -laying- (their original request didn't include the keyword "-laying- side by side").

My TOS includes a provision about charging extra for changes that weren't pointed out in the sketch or inking stages. I just get tired of having to quote it to this specific user for almost every commission I've done for them.

[kelen.livejournal.com]

I've had to do this exact thing recently myself. The advice of those above is spot on and I would be suggesting it too.

No matter how hard it is to put your foot down and say No More, it's totally worth it.

Be polite and decline the commission. Tell them you won't be accepting any more from them for personal reasons. (Eveshka's Suggestion is awesome.) If they ask you why then you can decide to be honest or brush it off. Honestly there's nothing more beyond this you can do. They could accept or be a jerk. So long as you are polite nothing, absolutely nothing you say will change how they respond.

I did exactly that with a commissioner, and when they asked why I was honest. Still polite, but honest. I've only had one spot of trouble with them since, because they assumed it was temporary for some reason.

And wow was I a nervous wreck. :P Totally worth it though. Now I don't have to stress over them any more.

[nightlinez.livejournal.com]

Having situations with clients like you described is very nerve wracking. I just went through this same thing a few weeks ago. I believe that declining and updating your T.O.S is the best idea. You could not allow changes like what sigilgoat suggested. Or only offer a very limited number of changes (and not allow major changes)

For declining them just be honest and polite as possible. Thank them for their business with you then follow that with something like Kelen said. You may get some rude and angry comments but you just need to be professional and honest with what/who you are comfortable with.

This customer does sound stressful. Have you ever told them your thoughts about their pickyness? Also, if you don't mind me asking are they intimidating and aggressive during any phase of the commission usually?

[morti-macabre.livejournal.com]

I have a repeater that is similar. They are incredibly generous, understanding, and patient, but the way they nitpick things is so darn tedious and it REALLY stresses me out.

I'd just be upfront and honest about it. Honesty is the best policy. If they are breaking your TOS, politely let them know you've updated it to such and such to minimize your own anxiety, most people are understanding.

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

I usually cancel and cite creative differences. And I give a full refund to problem clients if I terminate, because usually folks like this end up causing a lot of trouble if you withold anything.

[mazz.livejournal.com]

This post has made me realize why artists are like "wait, what do you want me to do?" when i give them references, a simple them and say "have fun"
They expect me to freak out because of what they drew.

I have no help but I'll be sure to let artists know when I give them my vague theme descriptions that I want THEIR interpretation so they stop being scared.

[sbneko.livejournal.com]

A big reason why artists get nervous, or at least it's happened to me, is that a commissioner gives me full artistic freedom but what they really mean "Something like this (example, happy), none of this, this and this". Rather then actually tell me they want me to think it up, but have certain things they don't want.

Luckily I haven't gotten any big issues on it, but I'd guess other artists feel nervous due to that.

[wolf-goat.livejournal.com]

I can give you an example of this which I currently have and is REALLY causing me a lot of stress/anxiety at the moment.

Guy (who has commissioned me twice before) asks for a commission, gives clear refs of the simple character, says to just go ahead and come up with a pose, something sitting or laying down maybe and slightly side on so you can see her long hair.

I come up with what I think is a really cute sitting pose that I'm really happy with, one of the things I've been happiest with in ages. Finish up the sketch and send it.

Guy replies that well it's cute but it's not really what he had in mind, he'd rather have something like this (links a picture with a STANDING pose which is 100% straight on) and goes on to state he wants it to be really explicit with her legs wide open. He then sends over a bunch of "examples" to "copy a pose from" and they are a mishmash of porn photos with different poses.

Did I mention I don't really draw stuff that's that explicit? He notes this himself and asks why not, but wants me to do it anyway.

I am now nervous about anything else I show to him and don't feel good about anything else I draw. So yeah. TL;DR Getting little info can be daunting because of situations like these.

[kalika-tybera.livejournal.com]

I'll admit I get frightened too when I'm given "have fun" as a description. I've quite literally seen friends be given "have fun" as descriptions for commissions and then have the commissioner turn around and freak out because they hated the results. Of course not everyone is like this, but unless the commissioner is someone you know personally, it's always a gamble.

My best work comes out when I'm given some themes and guidelines. If I don't know the person or anything about what they like, then I tend to err on the side of cautious/safe and go generic. I get more creative when given something more solid to work with.

[kaelstra.livejournal.com]

I will offer references and give them a brief personality description and a vague concept of what I want them doing ("I'd like her in a witch costume holding a black cat" was a recent one), and then I let them do the rest. Part of the fun for me is letting the artist decide what they want to do.

[kaputotter.livejournal.com]

There are some people who are volatile it's true and will have an averse reaction no matter what. Such as it is. Regardless, you can still be honest and phrase it very skillfully.

You see everybody has a different style of working, and I'm sure it's not unheard of that there might even be artists out there who appreciate this kind of work. The reminders, the pickiness, etc. could be seen as conveniences and challenges instead of annoyances. (Geez, am I optimistic to a fault or what.) So I'd phrase it like this.

"I've come to the decision that I would no longer like to work with you. I'm sorry it's taken me a long time to articulate what I felt was uncomfortable about these commissions, but I've figured it out now. I really appreciate your business in the past, please be assured of this. But I think that you are too demanding of a client and making your changes exhausts my energy."

If you are feeling generous, you could make the twist that the break is temporary. You do not want to resume commissions at this time, "but I will consider taking business from you in the future after a break. If I take commissions from you again, I need you to step back and give me a lot more slack."

I'm thinking of telling a current client of mine exactly this, so it was good to think aloud.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

You could also quote him a higher price, for all the extra work he puts you through. Scrapping a whole piece because they were vague? Not your problem, they can either be happy with what they get or pay extra for additional labor.

[firewo1f94.livejournal.com]

i vote this if its just the number of changes thats the issue. I have a 2 major changes per approval that arent obviously my fault (like getting colours wrong or missing markings) and as many minor changes that would add up to the same level of work.

[ryunwoofie.livejournal.com]

It really bites to have customers like that.. Since there were a lot of good suggestions above about turning them down I'll mention this. I am very firm with people who give vague or artistic freedom saying 'I'm sorry this isn't what you asked me. If you wanted something specific you should have told me before.' or 'Sorry your changes are too large and weren't quoted in my price. If you want me to change that it will cost extra.' (if it's like something major added like an item or clothing or something. Don't be afraid to ask for more in compensation for your time. If they end up being too much of a pain the best thing to do is refund them fully like amarafox said.

I also second changing your TOS in not allowing edits that are too large, and there will be extra charges for doing so.

[xubunturambles.livejournal.com]

My suggestion is to just be straight about it, that way there are less questions and 'why's. Just Politely decline and explain why, so maybe he can learn from this :V What happens after that is up to you, but if you want to avoid stress, just give him a simple "I'm sorry but i must decline" until he gets the point and leaves you alone.

[teekchan.livejournal.com]

I had a situation like this, and honestly, I just blocked him. He has posted multiple journals about me since, and even one where he claims lies about our transactions.

He would never listen to reason. I was also warned by multiple people, and he stalked them too. So it's a bit different then your guy. But sometimes blocking is the only way.

[fastbreak333.livejournal.com]

I hope that once you do let them down gently, they won't drag your name into the mud. It seems for a select few, no matter how nice you are, they'll have nothing but vengeance on their minds.

[likeshine.livejournal.com]

if you figure out how to do this gracefully in person, let me know.

i can handle it online. face to face it's so hard to do :(