Be-Back Bus

I knew when the “developer” who was going to take over my client’s site 2 years ago didn’t know how to migrate a website or point DNS that it would eventually end in disaster.

Honestly, I’m surprised it took two years to finally get the panicked email from my client asking if I happen to have a backup (you know, now that the site is hacked & forwarding to an online casino). Sadly, the developer she left me for didn’t have a single backup and claimed “the hacker deleted the back up from NameCheap”. That’s a new one on me 😅

But thanks to the Wayback Machine, Claude, & GitHub Pages, we were able to stop the bleeding with a simple little landing page with all her contact details and a note that the site was under construction.

The client was thrilled I was able to save the day, and we’re meeting next week to talk about a full-rebuild and getting back on my care plan services (where I assured her I kept two sets of backups, and would have 40+ on hand at any given time).

After I got through the whirlwind, I spent some time thinking about how this whole thing could be avoided… but it’s tough.

Two years ago when she told me she was leaving (and the new dev made it apparent they didn’t know what they were doing), I knew it would end up bad. I figured it would just be a disastrous website (which it was), but it being hacked certainly didn’t surprise me.

But I didn’t say anything. There’s just no good way to say “hey, you’re making a giant mistake and you’re going to regret it” without coming off like you’re badmouthing the competition to win the job back.

But the one thing I did do ended up paying off; I wasn’t sour grapes. I was helpful, cordial, and left on a friendly note. And that left the door open for the client to eventually make her way back.

We’ve all had to deal with the “former developer” who’s holding the site hostage, demanding fees, and making a transition way more difficult than it has to be. I’ve never understood it. Maybe that power-trip makes people feel better after losing a client, but it certainly doesn’t do them any good in the long-run.

No client is forever. Eventually they leave. And, yes, it sucks. But how you handle things on their way out makes all the difference on who’s gone for good and who’s just boarding the “be-back bus”