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@Michele

When I work with someone, I always do it on my server where the client can see the progress of the project. This is a good approach because he can say "no this doesn't work, do it this way" or "alright keep working!"

If there is a bug on a certain plugin/theme I fix it. I only take full payment after the client test everything. Also, I give 3 months of free support after being paid.

If you are a developer always, always keep comunicating with the client. And if you can, get a US bank account. We have one, it is not that hard to get one and it will be an asset to your company. Most companies/clients prefer to deal with someone that has a trusted payment method (not paypal)

@Michele That's why it should be a good practice for developers to give at least 2 months of free support, or well, let's call it warranty. Don't just disappear after you delivered the product, drop your customer an email after the project is done.

If you develop something and the customer sends you an email about a bug, go ahead  and fix the bug always.

I agree regarding bug support, regarding VAT - if they're not required to collect it by law due to a threshold revenue amount then there's really nothing you can complain about there.  We have something similar in Canada (GST), and when I started out I didn't charge it because I didn't have to, and it was more of a hassle to collect, and not charging it made my list pricing better than competitors.

However, I quickly learned that by not charging it makes you seem less professional, and you lose out on the more professional contracts - anyone starting out today I would tell them to get a GST number even if it's not required.

All the answers here sound correct. I can remember in my engineering class - a professor once said “Honesty is number one followed by thoroughly testing and debugging the finished product. In addition, performance should be assessed from many points of view, and the design should be modified if problems are identified at any stage. No two people are exactly alike, and sharing your codes or project with other nice and honest coders will help identify the problems that may not have been apparent during the software development phase."

I think if you are making software for a client, the software should be tested by variety of different users who can discover hidden bugs. For example, Elgg engine is used as open source software and the developers and other regular users who use Elgg on testing sites and production sites do so in good spirit. Why? Because we know or understand that bugs may exist in the preliminary Elgg versions. In short, we are serving as real-world testers.

To cut long story short as a developer who is determined to design software to clients you should:

• Practice honesty and Listen to new ideas with an open mind
• Consider various solutions before choosing a software design approach
• You should not arrive at a set of design parameters by trial and error
• Last but not least, thoroughly test the finished product

Remember: Success is measured by how well the finished code or script meets the customer's specifications.