How to understand when it is worth switching to “hourly” payment and how does the client check the integrity?

Question

Project management

Good day!
Before that, I freelanced projects with a fixed rate, but it became clear that with many there is a problem of assessing further terms and prices (in the case when the client suddenly makes changes in the middle of the project and agrees to pay for them, or after the project is completed, the client returns and wants to implement a feature that I have not encountered at all).
I consider myself a "newbie". Development is mainly c ++ (Qt), but I think the language and frameworks are not particularly important here.
So far, it’s just scary to start exactly hourly (now I’m guided by the client’s deadlines, when they are indicated - then I have to turn it in, and I have a free sea of ​​\u200b\u200btime, so I can google at least all night, then do it), but if there is an hourly one, then After all, the client needs to somehow confirm that you have been busy with business all these hours, and not simply absent or watching the series. How does this happen? I heard about trackers on various exchanges, but I haven’t come across it live. Can the client dispute, for example - "you wrote a comment here for 2 minutes, the time does not count"?
Yes, I understand that there is no definite answer here, but I would like to hear your experience, how (they just decided the next order only by the hour, or somehow prepared), when (already considered themselves an average pro or the same beginner), why did you switch to hourly, were there any problems, what?
In your opinion, are there any problems in the future with the desire to "stretch" the project in terms of time in order to make everything "beautiful" (I am a perfectionist, I used to do it to my own detriment)?
How does the client feel about the fact that, for example, they agreed on a period of approximately 10 hours, but it took 20? (for example, there were difficulties on my part due to ignorance and inexperience) do not take into account those 10 hours that were required additionally, or initially, when discussing, somehow explain to the client that more may be required, since "here and here are very unusual requirements ".
Let's say I have clients (outside the exchange) who are used to a "fixed" rate, how to explain to them the need for an hourly rate and how to let them know that they can control me (record desktop video from and to) and that I will not deliberately taking time?

Answer 1

I prefer, in principle, to work only at an hourly rate, because it is more honest for everyone. The freelancer gets exactly as much as he has worked. The client also pays as much as the work actually came out.
Also, with hourly pay, there is no need to evaluate every little thing. The client simply asks to finish something else, and you calmly do it and then bill for the time actually spent.
Your confirmation is the work done.
Most clients do not need to acknowledge every gesture. It is enough that the total time for the task corresponds to what he expected.
But I would recommend getting into the habit of using a time tracker. For example toggl. Any task you are working on should be marked in the tracker. So at the end of the week you will have a good record of what you did and for how long. With such a report, in principle, any questions disappear.
About cheating. Obviously, a freelancer has 1000 and 1 ways to cheat a client. If you do not have trust in each other, then it is better not to start a relationship at all.
If the client expected, for example, that you would complete the task in 10 hours, then he doesn’t care if you scratched your ass for half of this time, or worked continuously. The main thing is that the result corresponds to the time spent.
About unforeseen extensions. Ideally, all such moments should be provided for even on the shore. Those. you have to foresee where you might have problems and immediately announce to the client the fork “if it works out, I’ll do it quickly, but it’s possible that I’ll have to go the hard way and then it will take +10 hours.” If this came out suddenly, then everything is already individual. Sometimes you can finish something at your own expense (do not log the time), sometimes you can explain to the client and increase the cost.
Well, the general recommendation - do not work with rednecks.

Answer 2

1. Time of communication with the client counts as an hourly rate
2. For a new task, “time for researching the issue” can be allocated - this is exactly the time of googling
3. You will still need to name a fork of hours FROM and TO approximately
4. Name a slightly lower cost at first hours, then an hour there, an hour here, nobody will be particularly interested
5. Yes, there are time trackers, but I think this is not a panacea, because you can slowly press the keys and come up with names for variables for a long time

Answer 3

> Can the client dispute, for example - "here you wrote a comment for 2 minutes, the time does not count"?
I have been working hourly for a long time and in many cases either with Upwork tracker, which saves screenshots and mouse and keyboard activity, or with Hubstaff, which also controls open browser tabs (sort of). I have never seen a client who would even look at these screenshots. The rest I track on Toggl and just issue an invoice, no one asks anything. As long as there is a result and as long as the budget is not exceeded by a lot, but even in this case, there will be dialogue and discussion in the first place, and not viewing screenshots. All this, of course, provided that the client is adequate.
> How does the client feel about the fact that, for example, they agreed on a period of approximately 10 hours, but it took 20? (let's say there were difficulties on my part due to ignorance and inexperience)
Well, hourly work in principle implies that the terms are more or less flexible. Otherwise, why work hourly? You can immediately agree on a fix, but this does not work, so hourly. :) If you are directly sure that this is due to inexperience, then you can not include this time. For example, if you are learning a new programming language on the go. If the deadlines (will be) exceeded for an objective reason, and you don’t yet have enough trusting relationships to simply issue an invoice for the right amount, then it’s just worth saying about it, the sooner the better.
In fact, in most cases, the client doesn't really care how many hours you spend. Plus or minus 10 hours is nothing at all. It is much worse if you spend three months instead of a month. Because the deadlines for entering the market are being missed, profit is not being received due to the lack of functionality, customers are merging due to the fact that something does not work. This is much sadder for the client than paying for an extra 10 hours when needed. The exception is micro/small businesses that have very little money and actually count every hour.
> In your opinion, are there any problems in the future with the desire to "stretch" the project in terms of time, in order to do everything "beautifully" (I am a perfectionist, I used to do it to my own detriment)?
To be honest, it usually doesn't work. :) Because even the most adequate clients breathe in their backs and ask for results. Not because they want to annoy you, but they just want functionality faster. You will often have to give up the right and beautiful decisions for the sake of deadlines. You will have to force yourself to talk to the client and explain to him that this cannot be done quickly, otherwise everything will come to a head in six months when trying to support.
> how to explain to them the need for an hourly rate and how to let them know that they can control me (record a video of the desktop from and to) and that I will not specifically waste time?
Well, it's bidding. Depends on your relationship, workload and customer value to you. If you don’t care at all, you can simply put them before the fact (as gently and politely as possible, of course) that you are now working hourly. If that doesn't work, suggest trying it. Say that this can lead to an easier editing process, that it can also make the project cheaper for the client, because Previously, you had to make an allowance in the price in case of exceeding the deadlines, but now you don’t. Etc. If the client is critical to you, and he does not want to work hourly for any, do not work with him hourly.

Answer 4

on upwork, the tracker monitors mouse and keyboard activity and takes screenshots every five minutes

Answer 5

does not check integrity in any way -> this is the market, you set a price for it, it either agrees to it or refuses you as a performer. What this price is depends solely on your considerations (you can take into account the hours, gigabytes of Internet spent, the core of your computer, whatever).
In order not to count minutes and not to coordinate every crap - try, for example, to negotiate payment for "weekly stages" with a fixed cost.
If something did not fit into the weekly stage, you transfer it to another "weekly stage" (common scheme)