On a recent client project we had booked in a bunch of work to add ‘reordering’ to WooCommerce.

Some of you are thinking:

Hey there is already a function for that, so why would I charge a client for that work?

Well I had looked at this before and either hadn’t found the code or it didn’t exist. Either way I saved a bunch of project time and thus project expense.

In that scenario you have 2 options:

1. Make the extra money and don’t sweat it
2. Tell the client and remove a week from the project

Make extra $$$

Usually being more efficient would mean that you make more money right? Your client already felt that it was worth your quote to do the work and that really doesn’t change if it’s suddenly easier.

That work still has the same amount of value so is still ‘worth it’.

Tell them – the honesty card

Your second option is to tell them that the function already exists and don’t charge them to build it.

You lose out on the money and can deliver the project faster than originally anticipated.

Choose your adventure

So which do you choose?

Do you take the extra money because the client has already agreed that there is value?

Do you tell them and deliver faster and lose out on the dollars?

I tell them and lose out on the dollars because I feel not doing so compromises my integrity.

Your business trades on your integrity and reputation. Assuming the rest of the project continues to go awesome, do you really think that client is going to talk to anyone else about further work?

If they found out you charged them for ‘built in’ features do you think they’d ever talk to you again?

Given a choice, I’m going to choose truth and playing the long game. Losing a bit of money today doesn’t matter when you look at the lifetime relationship of a client.

photo credit: chiky cc