Frustrated with a client

Learn the obvious lesson: pre-qualify your clients to make sure they are the "ideal" customer for you! Accepting jobs "out of desperation" isn't the best way to build a business...

Training the client on WordPress is out of the question. Let the client figure it out themselves- there is no shortage of information on the subject.

From what you have described, it is time to walk away from this "client" who got you to work cheaply and never seems satisfied. Just say nothing further to them and walk away. I wouldn't even answer emails. Think of it as a learning experience.

If you want to continue to work as a freelancer doing web design, learn the #1 rule: Always have a contract The contract terms should stipulate what you will do and what responsibilities are the client's. The #2 rule is don't work for cheap. Unless web design is a hobby of yours, then treat it like a business and charge accordingly.

I always make it clear not to set a final price when quoting a job, reason being is things change as far as their plans or ideas. Too many times there are people out to get something for nothing and if you make it clear to them that this is the starting price for what we have agreed to they really have nothing to argue about. Once someone feels they can take advantage of a situation they will, don't let them get to that point. Trust me, easier said then done in a lot of cases but if they know what they are getting from the start and you dont leave it open ended you will be much better off. Time is money, and if they keep adding to your task list you need to make the necessary adjustments to how much you are charging them. Hope it works out for you champ.

I don't get whats keeping you frustrated. If he is finding faults, then that is his right to do it. If he offered you to do work for some amount, and you accepted it, then you should finish his work. Working for cheap doesn't mean it will be "OK" for you to not fix the faults and give him something which he didn't want.

Unfortunately your reputation is worth the effort. Suck it up, fix whatever he wants, and give him basic training on wordpress by offering him links to tutorials. It seems most people expect higher talent from lower prices, I don't get it, the worst customers I have had also have been some of my least paying jobs.

An excellent example of managing expectation.

Possibly your most valuable client. For what you lack in financial reward you are certainly receiving an abundance of experience

Sacking a client is the most liberating feeling in the world. In future I advise a detailed brief to ensure you manage each others expectation.

Well, with these things you live and you learn...

You definitely want to have contracts not only to protect yourself but you can convince the client that it protects them as well. (Cause it does.) There are many online document signing services that you can use to make this quick and efficient. Services like DocuSign are very helpful in these cases.

As for what you should do, I would recommend sucking it up and continue trying to finish the job. If it goes beyond the point where you can handle it anymore, it is important to let the client know that you would need more compensation. You must do this in a professional and easy going manner.

Things you could mention:

- If you guys agree to a simple e-commerce site then refer back to that communication and let him know that you thought this would be a simpler job and you under quoted him.
- Kindly mention that training was not a part of the contracted services. In business, you need to learn how to say "no" sometimes. Of course, say "no" kindly.
- If he asks for his money back, let him know that PayPal doesn't do refunds in India. You need to make that clear to him so he understands. Also want to let him know that if he does push for refund, any fees involved in refunding monies will be deducted from the refund itself.

RE: the Training:

You want to consider the benefits of training someone else. This may help you get familiar with how to train another client and can further your understanding. If you make a training general enough, you can even put the training on your own blog or company website. This would show other potential clients that you know exactly what you're doing and exactly what you're talking about.

RE: Reputation:

If for some reason this client relationship doesn't work out and he ends up writing a bad review about you, it's important that you do not panic. Panic in you write a non-professional response to his review, that will hurt you more than the review itself. If push comes to shove and he does write this review, be sure to let him know that you're sorry it didn't work out. Be as sincere as possible.

RE: client:

By the way, congratulations on getting a client. Whether this client is a good one or a bad one, you're still getting your feet wet and learning.

Hope this helps!

First rule - never deal with uneducated client or who doesn't know much about the job that they hiring you for which just causes additional problems for you, eventhough it's not worth it at all.
In this case, I suggest give him a twitter or facebook fan page which linked to his website right now with some followers or likes ( you can get them cheap on fiverr ). I am sure he will like what he gets.