If you've freelanced for more than six months, you've heard some version of this phrase:
"Can you just throw this in?"
It sounds harmless. It feels small. And that's exactly what makes it so expensive.
The word "just" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. It minimizes the request. It implies the work is trivial. It makes you feel like saying no would be unreasonable.
But "just" one more thing, repeated across every project, is the single biggest revenue leak in freelancing.
The 5 Client Archetypes
After reading hundreds of freelancer stories on Reddit, a clear pattern emerges. Scope creep doesn't come from malicious clients (usually). It comes from specific behavioral patterns that are remarkably consistent.
1. The "Just One More Thing" Client
Signature phrase: "Can you just add this one thing?"
This client never asks for a lot at once. They ask for a little, constantly. A tweak here. A small addition there. Each request takes 15–30 minutes. None of them feel worth sending a formal change request for.
But 15 minutes × 20 requests = 5 hours of unbilled work. At $100/hour, that's $500 per project.
2. The "I'll Know It When I See It" Client
Signature phrase: "This isn't quite what I had in mind. Can we try something different?"
This client can't articulate what they want until they see what they don't want. Every deliverable goes through multiple rounds of revision — not because the work is wrong, but because the client is discovering their preferences through your labor.
3. The "This Was Obviously Included" Client
Signature phrase: "I assumed this was part of the project."
This client genuinely believes that certain deliverables were included in the original scope, even when they weren't discussed. A logo project "obviously" includes business card design. A website "obviously" includes SEO optimization. A brand identity "obviously" includes social media templates.
4. The "My Nephew Could Do This" Client
Signature phrase: "This should only take a few minutes, right?"
This client has no understanding of what your work actually involves. They think a "small change" to a website is a five-minute task, not realizing it involves responsive testing, cross-browser checks, staging deployment, and QA.
5. The "We're Basically Partners" Client
Signature phrase: "I thought we had a good working relationship. Can't you help me out?"
This client leverages the personal relationship to blur professional boundaries. They don't ask for scope changes — they ask for favors. And the implied subtext is that real partners don't nickel-and-dime each other.
Why Each Phrase Costs You Money
The common thread across all five archetypes is that the request is framed in a way that makes pushing back feel socially uncomfortable.
And that's the real cost of "just one more thing." It's not just the hours you lose. It's the psychological toll of constantly deciding whether this particular request is worth a potentially awkward conversation.
Most freelancers choose to absorb the work. Not because they don't value their time, but because the social cost of pushing back feels higher than the financial cost of doing the work.
Until you multiply it across every project, every month, every year.
Scripts That Work
The solution isn't to become confrontational. It's to have pre-written responses that handle scope changes professionally, without emotion.
Here are scripts for each archetype:
For "Just One More Thing"
"Great idea — that falls outside of the current scope we agreed on. I can absolutely support you with that! Let me send over a quick change request with the time estimate and cost."
For "I'll Know It When I See It"
"I want to make sure we nail this. We've used the revision rounds included in our scope. For additional rounds, I'll send over a change request so we can keep moving forward."
For "This Was Obviously Included"
"I can see why you'd expect that to be included. Let me pull up our scope document so we can check together. If it's not listed, I can add it as a change request with a cost estimate."
For "My Nephew Could Do This"
"I appreciate that it might seem straightforward! There are actually a few steps involved — [briefly explain]. I'll send over a change request with the full estimate."
For "We're Basically Partners"
"I value our relationship, which is exactly why I want to handle this professionally. Let me put together a change request so everything is documented and clear for both of us."
For more scripts and strategies, read our full guide on how to say "that's out of scope" without losing the client.
The Real Solution: Remove the Decision
The best defense against "just one more thing" isn't better scripts — it's a system that removes the need for scripts entirely.
When you use a tool like ScopeFlag, every project has a documented scope agreement that the client has already approved. When something new comes up, you create a change request with a cost impact. The client approves or declines through a link.
There's no awkward conversation. No judgment call about whether this request is "big enough" to charge for. No scripts to memorize.
The system handles it.
Use our Revision Cost Calculator to see what your current revision pattern is actually costing you. The number might surprise you.