It's entirely your fault. You effectively told that client that your service was of little value when you agreed with insufficient time and money to "solve" their business problems, jump through all manner of hoops and parade your skills at a trumped up dog show. Did the nature of the invitation not give you a clue as to what kind of treatment you might receive at their hands?
When we start treating what we do as if it has some value, then maybe we have a right to expect that clients do the same.
Nice advice--but not practical when people's jobs are on the line. I've been at a few agencies who said "goodbye" to a client for treating our people like their personal slaves and whipping posts. But when not getting another account means potential layoffs, sometimes you bite that terrible bullet.
"Nice advice" was to Tim, just to clarify. 
It's always the same response: We play the game because we have no choice.
I'm not saying don't pitch, I'm just saying if it smells like a turd and looks like a turd, don't be surprised when it turns out to be exactly that.
If you could filter out bad clients before you spend many $000s on them, think how many layoffs you could avoid. I know hindsight is a wonderful thing, but from the original post it seemed that the early signs were all in place.
And by behaving in that way all the time, consider how it might affect the way that you are perceived by the wider market.
Fascinating subject and intriguing responses from the 'gang,' also reflected in yesterday's TAC.
One of the things to find out is why a prospect is leaving the incumbent agency (or that agency is quitting the account). Some clients are not worth the time and trouble.
The feckless prospect whom TAC encountered is not rare. An agency can never do better than the guidance, leadership, integrity, ethics and professionalism of the client and the client's key staff, along with the stated and demonstrated willingness to let the agency function profitably. Such relationships are like marriages, and candor is vital on both sides.
So if you win the pitch, will you take the account?
My ex agency was in a similar position once and they went ahead and signed up.
I think I can actually one-up you... We were recently asked to defend a piece of business when a new CMO took over. In the 2 months leading up to the review, she never attended a single one of our weekly calls. The CEO then paid another firm $50,000 to do a strategic analysis of what we had been providing the past year for this client. We then found out that we were pitching only against the firm they just paid... Hmmm... Needless to say, we didn't win the business - and hind sight, I'm thinking it's for the best.
I agree with Tim. I think most agencies jump at the sight of a pitch, any pitch and spoil the client for choice. Multiple options of creative routes are presented at a pitch (and sometimes options on strategy too!) while chasing the proverbial pie in the sky. As an agency guy myself, I know what I said sounds great on paper but it is difficult to walk away from a pitch. While the warning signals were all there (as mentioned in the post) that would perhaps be the norm in most cases - no fee, little time, lots of work.
This is actually the theme of many movies, often told in the microcosm of the family. The dad must humiliate himself in order to provide for his family. Your story is so common, yet still remarkable.
At the end of last year, we resigned a client because of the way she treated our staff.
It was the toughest decision I've made in more than 22 years in the business. And the only client I've ever seen "fired," despite having worked at five different agencies.
That one decision lead to a very hard year financially.
We haven't had to fire anyone, yet, but with the economy in the shape it's in, I don't know if I'll be able to say the same thing next Christmas.
The worst part is we didn't even get the satisfaction of telling the client where to stick it.
The truth is, in those circumstances, you don't want to add to the ugliness.
Would I do it again, if someone was abusing my employees?
Yes.
But I'd think very long and very hard before doing it.
As we know, you often have no idea going in as to what they'll be like--altho an office visit often preceeds a big pitch. Re: dignity, I agree with the posters that say it really comes down to bottom line, esp in this economy. That said, I don't think my CEO would put up with a dangerously abusive client. I remember once pitching to a guy who had a cocktail in one hand, a cigar in his mouth, while he was playing bocce. Makes for a good, if not undignified, story to tell after a totally fucked pitch.
Abuse by a client? One former client of the first agency for which I worked would call meetings at, say, 1 PM, show up the worse for wear at 2:30 PM, close the door to his office and emerge at 5 to go home, glancing briefly at the AE who had been sitting there for four hours. But you should have heard him scream bloody murder about the invoices for time spent. A matched set. His other abuses involved overtime (he never had resources, budgets or schedules when needed) to catch up. He had printers waiting on overtime, too. In about one and a half years, he went through about 10 AEs (I lasted longest, six months--a couple exited after just one meeting).
Aaarrgghh!!!!
My ex-partner worked in the 60s at the great London agency Collett Dickinson Pearce. They had a rule--ten accounts, no more. At the end of each year, they fired their worst client and took on a new one.
True, few agencies get to be that hot and that admired. But we can dream, can't we. And at worst, it's something to aspire to.
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