Title: When Clients Ghost: Lessons We've Learned So You Don't Have To

The world of interior design looks glamorous on Instagram and YouTube — beautifully finished homes, happy clients, and smooth makeovers from empty flats to stunning spaces. But behind the scenes, it’s not always smooth. There are meetings, planning, follow-ups — and sometimes, clients who suddenly disappear.

Yes, we’re talking about getting ghosted.

In just 10 days, our firm — Trishna Design Team — faced four such cases. These weren’t just casual chats. These were serious conversations with people who contacted us after seeing our work online. Still, the way things ended was disappointing.

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Client Story 1: The Jodi Flat Letdown

A client contacted us for a joint flat (two 1BHKs combined). We met them three times. By the second meeting, we discussed budgets. By the third, we had shared space planning ideas and they verbally confirmed they’d go ahead.

Then, silence. After 10 days, we followed up — not to chase, but to learn. Their reply? "You haven’t done jodi flats before, so we chose someone else."

We were shocked. Was breaking a wall and planning a bigger space that complicated? Design is about vision — not just past experience. And even if they chose someone else, they could’ve told us earlier.

Our mistake? We didn’t charge a visit fee. We spent hours of our time, and got nothing in return.

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Client Story 2: The 1BHK Site Visit Trap

Another client liked our work on Instagram and wanted to renovate their 1BHK. We spoke in detail and discussed rough costs. They wanted to visit one of our ongoing sites. We agreed — thinking it would build trust.

After the site visit, we also saw their flat. We even shared some design ideas. Then started the bargaining. Even though we were clear on pricing, they kept asking for lower rates — especially for civil work — while adding more to their wishlist.

Again, we didn’t take a visit fee. And again, they disappeared after lots of “we’ll refer you soon” talk.

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Client Story 3 & 4: The Surprise Contractor Visit

This one hurt. Two friends — both with separate flats — called us enthusiastically. They paid the visit fee and said we were “the only choice.”

We gave ideas and shared a detailed quote suited to their premium taste. The next day, while we were on-site at another project, they showed up with another contractor!

They acted surprised to see us there: “Oh wow, you’re here too?”

That moment stung. Just a day before, we had a long, positive chat. Now they were using our work to compare prices. We told them clearly — this isn’t acceptable without permission. It was clear — they were never serious.

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The Bigger Problem

These four clients wasted our time, blocked slots that could’ve gone to genuine inquiries, and slowed down our progress. We had even delayed other meetings, thinking these were confirmed projects.

In the end, we lost both — the ghost clients and potential new ones.

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So, what have we learned?

Here are our takeaways. If you’re a designer, contractor, or freelancer — this might help:

1. Always Charge a Visit Fee: No matter how good the talk feels, your time matters. A small fee filters out the non-serious ones.

2. Limit Free Ideas: Don’t share full designs unless the client is onboard. A sneak peek is fine. Full concepts? Only after engagement.

3. Write Things Down: Verbal promises don’t last. Share your process and terms clearly — over email or WhatsApp.

4. Notice Red Flags: If a client resists a small fee or wants “proof” despite seeing your work, stay alert. Genuine clients respect your process.

5. It’s Okay to Say No: Walk away from unclear or draining leads. You’ll make room for the right ones.

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Final Thoughts

There’s no full-proof way to avoid ghosting. But being clear, confident, and process-driven helps.

We’re not sharing this to complain — but to help.

To every designer or growing team out there: value your work and your time. Because if you don’t, no one else will.

And to future clients — we love designing beautiful homes. But we also expect mutual respect, just like you do.

Let’s keep things honest. That’s how we’ll make this industry better.

— Trishna Design Team