Documenting Additional Services

A project without Additional Services is pretty rare. No one likes to talk about an increase in fees. Which do you prefer? Losing money, but having a content client? Or getting paid fairly even if there is some discomfort involved?

Or maybe you are working by the hour or your fee is a percent of construction cost. Charging by the hour takes care of additional work automatically. The fee as a percent of construction cost might work if the change increases the cost of construction proportionally to the extra work. Often it doesn't. A fixed fee never gets you paid for a change. So here's what you do. Adopt a simple one-page form that you can complete in a minute or two and email to the client for a yes or no. We use this simple form. Here are the ways that it plays out.

1. You get the form back, signed and move on. (~33% of the time)
2. You get a call or email canceling the proposed change. (~25% of the time)
3. You get neither #1 nor #2. However, you now have the perfect reason to make a contact for clarification, "Do you want us to proceed with the change? I haven't received the authorization yet."

We have found that no one faults you for being business-like unless they were hoping to take advantage of you. Getting paid for everything that you do is a form of Business  Development!

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The Supplemental Authorization form (Word Docx) for documenting additional services is now offered in the Archives as part of MGMT-01. Get access when you Sign Up.
See revised version of this topic.
UPDATED Mar 30, 2015