Hi Wes - 

I would always push for a custom skin over buying the junk in the store. Do you really want unlimited color options? Do you need an infinite number of content panes? Probably not. Turning a precanned bootstrap 3 template into a skin shouldn't take much work. I would either build that time into your job, or partner up with someone who can do it for a reasonable price. There are a few firms out there that will take a pre-existing design (PSD) or theme and create a skin (I have no experience with them, but I know they exist). And if you need a custom designed skin, you may want to seek out a design firm with dnn experience...toot

Don’t you love the client who’s armed with knowledge and that dangerous red button?  I can see the mix of client base you have and it’s hard to stop them from going to the store and getting completely bamboozled by fancy skins that are in fact bloat technology designed to give DotNetNuke a bad name.

I think Wes, it come down how you talk to your clients about what you provide.

I give my clients options – you have a template Walmart style skin and that the shopping centre there is filled with empty promises, or you can invest a little more and we can make it for you but given we’ve been developing DotNetNuke for a decade now, and primarily in the skin area as well as high level deployment, I’m quite upfront.

If your clients think they know better.. being armed and dangerous and wearing rose tinted glasses, it might be an opportunity to provide a service for them to charge them for researching for them, or telling them in a very clear manner – you buy you’re responsible and give them some tough love.

I don’t seem to have that problem with clients mainly because we can skin and we just tell people to find what they like and we’ll make it happen, so for them they feel we are the ones to go to for all things.

Sometimes it’s worth losing a couple of clients who become like a lead weight around your neck getting themselves into trouble and you always having to through the lifeline out but letting a few sink is like giving yourself wings… honestly it is.

Problems can be turned into opportunities and it could be a good time to let your restless customer base know that if they are thinking about an upgrade or enhancement on their site, that you’re the person to come to and use a few case studies to show what you've been up to.

I guess our model is slightly different, and we do not allow host access to any of our sites, except staff.  We do all the upgrades, skin and module installs, only when tested on our servers. Our clients do not have ftp or cpanel, nothing, we look after it all and while I've lost a few clients who want more control, let me tell you, I’ve gained more because I am insistent on the fact that 95% of the modules and skins on that store are overpriced, they under deliver, have lousy support, bounced emails from developers and for the life of me I don’t know how people just spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, on stuff they will never use.

And it’s not limited to DotNetNuke that’s for sure – the internet is littered with wasted money, wasted time, and insecure plugins for WordPress, so I guess the devil you know is better than the one you don’t. I’m not being critical or picking on DotNetNuke in particular, mainly the mentality of people with little knowledge who are quick to blame when things don’t work properly which if they had bothered to ask a few questions first then they would be in a better position.

Having said that – I feel we need to take the blame somewhat by not communicating our services better to our client base who come to use for solutions.

I have for the last few years, asked people who get into trouble how much they would like to pay me to get out of it.. because I spent about 8 years fixing up other people’s problems to the detriment of my own state of mind and ability to grow my business and when I started to use these couple words –

1 – the money approach -

.. sure I can fix it – would you like to book a 1 hour consultation – I take credit card or Paypal or direct deposit.

2 – the time approach -

… Yes I can fix it, how about you send me the files and I’ll see when I can get back to you, how’s not this week, not next week but the week after… then I revert to approach 1

3 – the ‘It’s me not you approach’

… I’d love to fix it but I’m neck deep in work with paying customers (get your wife to give you a few dollars and you’re not lying J) and revert to 2, and then 1.

4 – the NO approach

… that feels good – I use that when I really want to drop a client who has finally worn me down… actually I pack them up and tell them to go away. I have only had to use approach 4, 5 times in my who career, and it has been generally around those who don’t want to pay or feel that the minuscule amount they pay me for something entitles them to more than what I feel I’m worth, and often you will find these people do the rounds and I may have gone through steps 1,2 & 3 first.

And in the meantime, look at creating an environment where you can get back to customers and provide with a modest fee to spend a few hours on their site to go through what they’re up to.

I’m taking a more light-hearted approach because I feel your pain and the devil is in the details on how you interact with clients and get them to come in line with expectations of what you are offering them as a service.

I know you work with your client’s best interests at heart Wes. I read your passion and posts on the forums here, and it would transcend in how you look after clients, but sometimes – we need to draw a line and if they are an A client, then you have some wiggle room, but if they are a B or C client, then you need to look at what you think your time is worth.

http://xdg.co/1d1Hhh4  - do you know this man? 

Just my thoughts for a day.

Nina