A new customer approaches me to make some major updates to their web site. Their previous developer is too busy.

I have a look at the site, the environment, and give them an estimated cost. Its a couple of weeks work. I complete the work within my estimate, invoice them for the hours, and everyone is happy.

At this point I suggest a support agreement. An agreed pool of my time we can use to investigate and make further updates as required. The customer declines, they would rather have individual quotes for each future change.

Economy of scale

With any project, there is an economy of scale. A gross generalization is that any piece of work has a fixed overhead and a size related cost. Bundling larger or multiple updates can offset overhead more effectively than small, scattered changes.

The customer asks me to quote for a list of 4 or 5 small updates, item by item. Investigating these items takes time that has to be included in the price. I provide estimates for each item individually and as a whole, optimistically thinking enough will be confirmed to make it worthwhile. I don't hear back on any of these, but a couple of weeks later receive another list of small updates to quote for. This continues for a few months, when the customer comes back requesting a confirmation on the cost for one of the updates.

Exit left

I ask if they will also require any of the other updates. No, just the one update they say, and they think they should get it for the amortized quote divided by 5. I point out it doesn't work like that. In fact my overheads are higher because of all the minor updates they have wasted my time investigating and pricing. I blame myself for getting drawn in. Thankfully I am now too expensive for them. Swipe left.

The community of Concrete developers is not that big. Their previous developers had been through a similar process.

The death of a thousand quotes.

Fortunately this scenario is rare. I can usually pick up the signs before getting drawn in. Most customers understand business overheads and we can agree a framework that works for both parties.