What To Do If A Client Is Ghosting You

As freelancers, we’ve all been there. You onboard a client and they are gung ho about their project. Then out of nowhere, they ghost you – ugh! I’m going to walk you through how to handle being ghosted by a client and what your next steps should be.

What does it mean to be ghosted by a client?

Being ghosted by a client means they are no longer responding to any communication. They’ve essentially vanished like a ghost (not cool!). While they were once very responsive, they no longer return calls, respond to emails or meet project deadlines.

How do I know if I’m being ghosted by a client?

When a client suddenly stops responding to your emails, it can be easy to assume they got sidetracked and will eventually reply. But what if your client is still engaging in social media, replying to other people’s emails and showing up online while not replying to you? A sure sign you’re being ghosted is when there’s evidence your client is visible online, but choosing to not respond to you.

What should I do if a client doesn’t respond to my emails?

If a client hasn’t responded to several of your last emails, it may be time to “check for a pulse” and let your client know you aren’t trying to bother them, but if they could kindly just reply to the email just to make sure you know they are receiving them.

When all else fails, and they still don’t respond to your emails, you’ll need to reach out by other means including:

• Phone call
• Request a zoom meeting
• Direct message
• Post on their social media page
• Ask another person to reach out for you

My personal experience with a client who ghosted me

Years ago I had a client who did not want to pay the remainder of their bill and they avoided all of my phone calls and emails. This was before I used client agreements (silly me!) so I had no legal leg to stand on in order to collect the outstanding balance.

I decided to put my detective hat on and tried called my client from a random phone number, and luckily enough they picked up! I immediately ask for him by name and when he confirmed who he was, I let him know if was Casey from Sugar Studios calling about the late payment. He had no excuse for why he was avoiding me and he immediately paid his bill – yes!

What other steps can I take when a client ghosts me?

If the methods above haven’t worked for you, here’s a few other things you may want to consider when being ghosted by a client:

1. Don’t let being ghosted consume you

It can be downright infuriating when a client ghosts you. You worked so hard on their project, maybe they owe you money – it’s not fair! But letting them consume you and your business will only hurt you in the end. Try to take a step back and see if you can move on from your client.

2. Consider that something awful has happened

While it’s not a pleasant thought, consider that your client has gone through something awful like death, illness, divorce or even bankruptcy. They may come back to you eventually with an apology and an explanation that will be understandable.

3. Move on and learn from the experience

While you may never hear from a client who has ghosted you, using the experience to improve your business with help make this bad situation into a good one. Think about the possible warning signs you may have missed early on that could have told you this client wasn’t reliable. Put provisions into place for your business so that you’re legally protected if a client ghosts you when a bill is due by creating a contract.

How should I handle it when a client who has ghosted me comes back?

I’ve had many clients who ghosted me by never replying to emails about project status, missing deadlines and ignoring unpaid invoices. Many times the client will reappear when it’s a good time for them to resume their project.

While it all depends on if you want to continue working with the client you can either end the project all together or continue to work with them as long as they follow your updated terms.

If you end the project, handle is like a professional and explain that they are no longer a good fit for you and you can refer them to someone else.

If you’re willing to continue working with the client, set forth a clear path of expectations for the remainder of your project. Explain exactly when they need to reply to you and what happens if they don’t reply in X amount of days. Also, just to be on the safe side, try to collect the full payment for the project up front in case they ghost you again!

What should I write in an email to a client who has ghosted me?

Here’s some emails you can swipe and use as a response to clients who have ghosted you.

For a client with a past due balance

Hi [Client Name], 
At this time we have not yet received a final payment for the [insert project name].
Your account is now [insert weeks/months] past due and you owe a total of $XXXXX. As a valued [your business name] customer, I would like to help you quickly remit payment to avoid any actions that could damage your credit rating.
If there is any reason you are unable to pay in full, please contact me at and I would be happy to talk about arranging a payment schedule that is mutually agreeable.

Example 2

Hi [Client Name], 
At this time we have not yet received a final payment for the [insert project name].
Your account is now [insert weeks/months] past due and you owe a total of $XXXXX. As a valued [your business name] customer, I would like to help you quickly remit payment to avoid any actions that could damage your credit rating. If there is any reason you are unable to pay in full, please contact me at and I would be happy to talk about arranging a payment schedule that is mutually agreeable.

For a client who is not responding to emails

Hi [Client Name],
I’ve been trying to reach you about the [name of project] project but unfortunately I haven’t heard back. I just wanted to remind you as per our agreement, the project is due to be completed by [xx/xx/xx] and we are now past schedule. Please reply as soon as you can so that we can move forward with your project.

Example 2

Hi [Client Name],
I hope everything is ok, I’ve been trying to reach you over the past few [weeks/months]. As per our agreement for the [name of project] project, we are behind schedule by x [weeks/months]. In order to move forward we’ll need to create a new agreement and reschedule your project. If you would like to discuss this more by phone, I would be happy to arrange an appointment to speak.

Conclusion

Being ghosted by a client is just one of the many fun parts of offering a 1:1 service (I’m being sarcastic here). With the tips you learned in this article, you’ll be able to handle a client who is ghosting you like a pro and put the power back in your hands.

Remember, it’s your business and you get to decide who you want to work with.

What do you think of this article? Do you have any questions for me? Ask me in the comments box below!

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