Small edits and updates - do you charge?

[Susie]

I have several clients who lately need small edits and updates for their sites. I've developed their sites in WordPress or CMS Made Simple and I've trained them on how to manage the site, but they still want me to do it. It is basically because they don't feel confident that they can do it themselves without messing up the site. It's more than changing a word here or there, but they're still simple edits. I can usually do them in 5 minutes or less. On the rare occasion, it might take me 15-30 minutes.

 

My question is this....do you guys charge for the edits that only take 5 minutes or so? When my client emails me asking for advice, they're not asking me to do it for them, but I offer because I know it will only take a few mins. But now the situation I'm in is that I'm spending 1/2 my day on these things when I should be working on other stuff. I'm getting a little frustrated.

 

I can't see myself replying to one of these emails, "Sure, I can help you. I'll send an invoice for 5 minutes worth of time." lol

 

So, how do you guys handle this?

 

(Typing this out, I think I know the answer, but I'm still curious to hear your thoughts)

[PicnicTutorials]

Hi Susan,

 

I'd do it like this... Make website, then give them X number of days from finished to make free small edits. Then after that time you charge. Sounds like you should say you have a minimum. Like a hour or maybe a half hour minimum, but no less. Most others I imagine do an hour minimum.

Edited January 20, 2010 by Eric

[einsteinsboi]

I have a few clients like that. What I do is offer a ticket-based maintenance system that covers upgrades (such as upgrading between versions of Wordpress) and minor edits. So for instance a client will purchase 10 tickets for $x dollars and that entitles them to asking for 10 edits/minor changes. Then if something comes up like a need to upgrade their Wordpress installation I let them know and give them the option to do it themselves or to have me do it for one ticket.

Edited January 20, 2010 by einsteinsboi

[Susie]

Thanks, guys.

 

einsteinsboi, I'm curious to know more about your ticket system. Is it powered by something like this? http://www.whmcs.com/

[einsteinsboi]

Thanks, guys.

 

einsteinsboi, I'm curious to know more about your ticket system. Is it powered by something like this? http://www.whmcs.com/

 

No, nothing that fancy. Right now we just do it manually and keep track of tickets in the client backend area of my site, but I'm coding my own little app to handle this, since I want it to be very custom, and it's a great learning experience.

[falkencreative]

My question is this....do you guys charge for the edits that only take 5 minutes or so? When my client emails me asking for advice, they're not asking me to do it for them, but I offer because I know it will only take a few mins. But now the situation I'm in is that I'm spending 1/2 my day on these things when I should be working on other stuff. I'm getting a little frustrated.

 

I think if it's one edit that'll take five minutes every month or so, that's no big deal. More than that though, and you need to talk about some sort of hourly billing system perhaps charged in a minimum of 15 or 30 minute increments? Alternately, if its a client that needs a lot of hand-holding, perhaps a flat monthly fee to cover such questions is an option?

 

EDIT: An ticket based system is an interesting idea. I'll have to think about that more. I'd build something custom with that idea in mind, but I'm not sure I'd be able to find the time.

[administrator]

My question is this....do you guys charge for the edits that only take 5 minutes or so?

 

YES!

 

Just make it clear to them that you are tracking time ... and then track it.

 

Arrange a billing schedule with them (in advance) so that everyone knows what to expect. Whatever you do, don't let them think your time is not worth much by jumping every time they ask for something ... learn to respect your own time, otherwise they will quickly come to not respects yours.

 

... It is human nature.

 

Stefan

[Susie]

Thanks, guys. I am going to come up with a plan and then will let my clients know things are changing! :cool:

[newseed]

All time are billed with a one-hour minimum for each occurrence. Let them know that upfront in writing and then have them sign that stating they understand and agree to the terms.

 

Then, encourage your clients to bunch together all their 5-minute edits so they will get the most benefit of your time. Also, it will be better for you to do multiple updates at one time leaving you to focus on other new jobs.

Edited January 21, 2010 by newseed

[BeeDev]

We charge minimum 15minutes of edits, even for 5minute edits, but we let our clients know before that there's a minimum charge of 15minutes, then advise them to group up their small edits and send in chunks. More efficient for both sides like this.

[zarenya]

I absolutely hate it when someone sits besides me and dictates what I should do and how I should do it.

 

When it comes to my Graphic Design, I have been doing this for more than 10 years and its like they telling me what to do. As for my Website Design services, I find that my clients also want to sit beside me. Something that will take me 10 minutes to update on their website usually takes an hour when they are with me.

 

I do not let my clients pay a monthly fee as I feel I am taking their money and not offering anything to them. I do offer a very low maintenance fee which is payable ONLY when they require maintenance to their site.