Would You Have Taken the Pay Cut?
All things being equal in life, an hour equals sixty minutes and the amount of time accorded work tasks on an hourly rate states that for every sixty minutes of work there appears an hour’s pay according to the rate. The formula for this is simple:
time * rate = pay
Its very interesting to see a self-proclaimed high end corporate client come from the budget option, which brought them dissatisfaction, and offer a low-end reasonable hourly pay rate to receive first world service and quality. Then, in very short time, transform from the eager client into the dissatisfied client who believes you’re just being greedy for blowing the budget that had suited the previous competitor which brought them dissatisfaction in the first place.
That cycle is kind of odd, don’t you think? Back to the previously ditched budget option? Not onto a newer one? Not a better one?
I indignantly suggested that this company never offer me contract work again. I’m just not interested in pursuing the cheapest quote. I definately don’t appreciate multi-billion dollar companies wasting my time if they can’t afford me OR lack the political will to achieve the results they hired me for in the first place. It seems a little pointless. It seems a little like this client hasn’t understood relationship management at the very base level and is highly focused on searching for cheaper options because they believe that contractors are greedy. Its an unhealthy state. Its bred on the belief that people should be exploited and kept insecure - I had been packing my bags all month, to be honest. This was no surprise.
Even providing deliverables early created disapproval - if it’s early then what are we still paying for? Right? At least bitching about a late product justifies their bad attitude.
Now would you have taken the 40% pay cut to make them satisified? I won’t. In my opinion they can go take a flying jump with a first class express ticket. Seriously. I don’t need clients who actually have the front to ask me to meet the competitive price of a third world competitor THEY ditched over quality issues.
In the end it really doesn’t matter one way or another. I just thought it might be food for thought about the varying quality of clients and receiving equitable pay rates. What do you think about companies with this strategy? Would you have continued the relationship? If so, why?
