I could complain a lot about my current client, but now I just want to share one recurring pattern that drives me crazy every time it happens.
I'm working as a web developer for him on a very complex web based application that serves his business. Basically the app is that runs the business.
After a while we agreed that I should create videos where I explain changes or new features, so he can understand them better. That works, but time to time he asks question after he watched the videos that suggests he has not watched the video or if he has, he still do not understand what I was trying to explain there. Ok, he is not a tech guy, but when I explained something in the video slowly, in a way a child could understand and then he asks me a question where the answer basically is word by word what I explained in the video, that frustrates me so much.
I do not know how to improve that. He improved a lot since we began working together and we were always be able to discuss what bothers us. In this case, I really want to tell him, I'm not going to answer any question that is already explained in the video (or elsewhere, he also likes to question about things I literally answered before he asksed few paragraphs above), please watch the video again and again until you understand.
I do not think he is stupid, but he is the kind of client, who likes to ask and expect an answer even when what he asks about things that was explained clearly in a message or email or explained in the video already, because he does not like to spend time on reading, watching things on his own. I think he likes when people explains things to him personally by talking to him (I know at times he used an app on his mobile to read my messages to him). However, because he is not a tech guy, explaining things to him on a call usually requires much bigger effort and more time.
When I told him it is not effective when he does not have time for the project to check updates, read messages and ask proper questions, he said, I'm right and he will make time for it. I just do not feel that. Every time I need to repeat myself, because he appearantly ignores my messages it feels waste of time. On the other hand, he expect me to be able to answer his crazy questions on the spot and expect my replies to be 100% accurate. We are talking about a very complex web based business application and even I have to double check things to understand how a particular thing is working in it, thanks to the complicated business logic he and his business requires. Answering his questions where he tends to use different terms and namings that the app uses is quite challenging. He even accused me of not understanding how the app works when I told him I need time to check how something is working. While he does not understand how the app can be used for users, even though everything in it is based on his requests. Oh yes, the best is when he reports a feature or change he requested as a bug, because he had no idea how it supposed to work.
Also, when I have to work on something more to be able to finish a requested feature, he complains most of the time, how we need to be more careful on working on things that requires a lot of time, but he does not seem to care about the time we spend on explaining things to him, several times.