It does seem probably fake, but being able to set boundaries and say no is definitely a major saving grace of freelance work, even if you have strong reasons to be professional about it.
There’s “saying no” and then there’s “You guys really oughta read the contracts you have us sign sometime. Pretty wild stuff in there.”
The burning of bridges on a current contract makes it seem fake, but it could also just be that the guy is fed up and already has something else lined up.
It’s better to stay polite and not be a snarky asshole, but if someone fundamentally misunderstands the nature of their professional relationship with you, they need to be corrected. Yeah you might lose business by answering disrespect with disrespect, but if someone is really pushy with trying to manipulate you into doing free work you didn’t agree to, it’s likely you won’t part on great terms anyway. Being honest and straightforward is more important, and good clients won’t take it personally being told in clear terms how it is.
It does seem probably fake, but being able to set boundaries and say no is definitely a major saving grace of freelance work, even if you have strong reasons to be professional about it.
There’s “saying no” and then there’s “You guys really oughta read the contracts you have us sign sometime. Pretty wild stuff in there.”
The burning of bridges on a current contract makes it seem fake, but it could also just be that the guy is fed up and already has something else lined up.
It’s better to stay polite and not be a snarky asshole, but if someone fundamentally misunderstands the nature of their professional relationship with you, they need to be corrected. Yeah you might lose business by answering disrespect with disrespect, but if someone is really pushy with trying to manipulate you into doing free work you didn’t agree to, it’s likely you won’t part on great terms anyway. Being honest and straightforward is more important, and good clients won’t take it personally being told in clear terms how it is.