Friday, December 16, 2011

Professionalism by texting?

So here it is at 4:44 am (my nemesis). I am wide awake and can't sleep because of a NON-Client who has been texting me for two days.  First what makes it comical to me is that he was trying to set an appointment by texting.  What intrigues me is where is the professionalism here?
This person contacted me approx. 5 months ago requesting to have some music vid made.  At the time I spoke to him, he hadn't even put lyrics to his music and sent me 3 MP3's of some shoddy keyboard tracks.  I explained to him that I would need to have completed music to produce the video,  gave him some solid advice on scripting since he didn't want to pay my fees for that.  (I charge $350 for scripting,design and development).  I wished him luck and told him to contact me when he had everything completed. 
5 months later, I'm receiving a random text asking to set an appointment on a Saturday (which I don't work, unless it's contracted) No details just I'm coming over to your studio on Saturday at 2:30 what's your address? I asked him several times to call me by phone.  He just kept insisting on getting the address and wasn't cooperating with calling me.
I asked the person to identify themselves, and to call me so I could get more details.  (The text only shows the phone number as I don't plug in every person who contacts me in my address book?)
The client only responded by continuing to ask me for my office address. He started to become hostile because I wasn't making the appointment.
I tried to contact the client by phone and got a digital recording to leave a voicemail.  Not even a real person on the recording?  At this point I wasn't only thinking that why would a recording artist not record a voicemail? I was also thinking, this could be dangerous.
The best part was that each time I requested that this person contact me by phone  as I would need  more details, the person was getting angry and insulting me for not giving him my address.
At what point do you say no to business?  What professional person sets appointments with a video producer by text messaging.  Am I supposed to have less courtesy than other professions?
The person wanted to spend $500 to put together a stock footage music video, which is great.  However he would have cost me over $500 in grief.  At what point do you walk away from business?
When the person can't make a phone call or talk over the phone, they are probably not legit.  
He even had the gall,  to tell me he was a broker who worked from 6am-5pm. 
I frankly don't care if he was the President,  If he can't pick up the phone and have a conversation with me about his project then there is no project.
As a professional I always try to do the right thing.   My integrity is very valuable to me.  I treat my clients in a very special manner and with the utmost respect.  I demand respect back.  Does he think I'm that desperate for $500 bucks?   I only set appointments with people I know and trust.  If it's a client, I would have a contract in place before I spend any time dealing with them face to face. 
What makes me not be able to sleep is the fact that this person thought it was my problem that I wasn't making an appointment via text with a complete stranger???  
As much as I'd like to make $500,  I don't need his money and when all is said and done it's not the money it's the relationship that was missing.  I'm in this industry because I love what I do.  But I also love that I can say no when it doesn't feel right. 
Take care Mr. Non Client. 

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