A Difficult Lesson Learned
For the first time in over 30 years as a self-employed designer, arranger, and consultant, a band director refused to pay me for my work. This has been a bitter pill to swallow.
I am always the first to urge all designers to sign contracts for all their work. For this client, I made the giant mistake of not following through with the contract process. I was contacted for design ideas and show consultation, and for some reason I did not treat this work like I do arranging or drill design. That mistake is completely on me.
At one point I did draw up and send a contract, but our plans changed and I never followed through. Although the consultation process was not an easy one with this client, I spent many hours and sent this person an invoice at the end of the process at their request.
For eight months I sent notes asking for payment. I was constantly reassured that payment was on the way. Finally I sent an email and letter to the school principal.
I was sure that they would do the right thing by this self-employed designer and consultant. But the principal decided to back the band director in non-payment.
Attention all designers! Consider yourself warned! If this successful businessman with 30 years of experience can make this mistake and be stiffed by a client, so can you. Always agree on terms, get the agreement signed, and then do your best work.
This has been a hard lesson for this Beast of the Marching Arts. I hope my bad experience can help you avoid this kind of disappointment yourself. My faith in my fellow man was already on unsteady ground, and this has not helped. But I am doing my best to focus on all the wonderful and trustworthy clients that I get to work with. They will continue to get my best work and good will.
Tim Hinton
November 26, 2024
