I met a client on Upwork. He was very nice, based in India, and had good feedback from other freelancers, mostly for quick tasks. Nothing seemed off at first.
Before I start, I want to make this clear: this story is about a client’s behavior, not their background. There’s no judgment about anyone’s race or nationality—just lessons from my own experience.
He sent me an interview invitation for a Virtual Assistant role based in the UK. I accepted and sent a proposal. That same night, he responded and called me.
The first task was quick but a little risky. I decided to take the risk, and the payment went through successfully. The second task was similar and worked out fine.
Then came the third task—and I said no.
Why?
Because of how he handled time. He kept calling me and demanding updates. Even during dinner with my family, he would call. He always said please, and sounded polite, but he did not respect my boundaries or private time.
That is the red flag.
A client can be polite and even nice, but still be difficult to work with if they don’t respect your time.
The first red flag is almost always about time—how often they call, when they expect replies, and how they respond when you say not now. That tells you more than reviews ever will.
Saying no to the third task was the right decision for me. Not every client you work with should become a long-term client. If someone cannot respect your time early, it usually gets worse later.
That’s the lesson I wanted to share today.
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Post to you soon 📩
Charmaine 🩷😊