DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a freelance graphic designer, and one of my clients is frustrating. Despite multiple revisions and attempts to clarify their expectations, the client has continued to express dissatisfaction with my work. One design element they specifically didn't like was a logo concept I had created. The client requested a minimalist and modern design, which I meticulously crafted to align with their brand image. However, they found the color scheme too bold and the font choice not in line with their vision. I asked for more specific feedback, and they did not provide me with anything concrete. This left me feeling perplexed, as I had followed their instructions closely and incorporated their feedback at every stage of the design process. How do you think I should proceed? -- Vague Client

DEAR VAGUE CLIENT: Many people are not visual and can find it difficult to express what they want for a design because they literally do not have the words to describe it. As a designer, that can be frustrating. Provide your clients with a variety of visual references to allow them to see examples of possibilities from which they can choose. This takes time, but it is a way to help guide them to come to a direction that satisfies their needs and helps them to imagine what they want. Many designers agree to provide three options to clients, after which they charge more. With a difficult client like this, you may need to change your rules regarding options in order to come to a solution that will satisfy their needs.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I just wanted to share a cautionary tale with you regarding sleepovers: The hosting parents need to be vetted very carefully.

Like you, I always called the parents to be sure they would be on site and the girls would be supervised. One time, my 9-year-old was invited to a birthday slumber party. I dutifully called the mother and was assured that she would be there through the entire celebration. Around 8:30 p.m., my Spidey sense kicked in; this was not a family I knew very well, so my husband and I decided to do a drive-by. It was chaos. Older boys were at the house, and there was no parent in sight. As we left with our daughter, a neighbor suggested we look at the neighborhood tavern, which is where we found the parent, sloshed to the gills.

Four years later, I was talked into allowing our daughter to spend the night with twin sisters. Again, I called and spoke to the mom at length and was assured she wouldn't allow a similar situation. After that night, our daughter became intractable. It was as if someone had flipped a switch in her. She eventually attempted to take her own life. She was placed in inpatient hospital counseling, which is where we found out that that night she was encouraged to drink, was drugged and was sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old neighbor. Her friends were in on it while the parents were out amusing themselves.

Kids can attend these functions, but only with close family friends whom you know very well. Better yet, instead of an overnight, allow a late night with pickup by 11. -- Spidey Sense

DEAR SPIDEY SENSE: I want to thank you and the others who wrote in about this sensitive topic. I’m so sorry about what happened to your daughter. I realize that horrible things can happen to our children when we leave them in others’ care. The late-night pickup is a great solution that allows your children to spend time with friends and come home safely. Also, having the sleepover at your home where you can supervise is a viable solution.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions toaskharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a customer service manager at a retail store, and I have been receiving complaints from customers about one of my employees being slow and unhelpful. The challenging part is that this employee is close to me and is known for her kind nature. I have provided feedback and coaching to improve her customer service skills, and I see her working hard and trying, but the complaints persist. This is impacting the store's reputation. Normally I would need to submit a report, but I’m contemplating whether to do so in this situation. Is it more ethical to report or be loyal to my people? -- Kind but Slow

DEAR KIND BUT SLOW: I once had an employee who was one of the kindest people you could ever meet. He also had a magnetic personality that attracted people to him and instantly made people like him. Unfortunately, he was slow at many tasks, and it could be frustrating to wait for things to be completed or to be finished well. I talked to him about this and encouraged him to work harder at task management and completion so that his winning personality would be matched by his excellent job performance rather than being the reason people gave him a pass. It took time, but with tremendous effort, he improved. Your friend needs ongoing coaching. She needs a cheerleader to help improve her skills. She may also need to have a shift in responsibilities that takes her away from the customers. Is there anything else she can do that is essential? If so, consider that rather than reporting her or letting her go.

DEAR HARRIETTE: As a college student working on a group thesis with three classmates, I've hit a roadblock with one of them. This person, “Olive,” is constantly missing meetings and blowing off deadlines, leaving the rest of us to carry the load. When I finally called Olive out on it, she got defensive and blamed personal stuff for her no-shows. It's frustrating to see our project suffer because of one person's slacking. I know we need to address this situation and make sure everyone is pulling their weight, but I'm not exactly sure how to approach it without stirring up more drama. How can I get this person to step up and take her responsibilities seriously without causing a big rift and sounding insensitive? -- Dead Weight

DEAR DEAD WEIGHT: My experience shows that in most group activities, there is at least one slacker. Is it fair? No, but it is common. You can talk to this person as a group and individually to outline what needs to be done and when, but the rest of you are probably going to have to do the work yourselves in order for it to be completed.

When I was in college, I was in class with one of my best friends, and we worked together on a group project. Shockingly, she completely dropped the ball and did not complete her portion of the assignment. We ended up scrambling to finish her work. Because we did it -- and did it well, I might add -- we got a good grade. I had to personally forgive my friend for being so irresponsible. The lesson I learned is that you have to be prepared to do it all, even when it’s not your responsibility.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My roommate and I have been living together for about six months now, and while things were fine at first, we’ve recently started fighting over the chores in our apartment. The main issue is that I always end up being the one who has to clean the shared areas because she refuses to do her part and clean up her messes.

When we first moved in together, we agreed to split the chores evenly. We even made a chore chart to help keep track of our responsibilities. For the first few weeks, everything went smoothly. However, it didn’t take long for her to start slacking off. Dishes would pile up in the sink, the living room would be cluttered with her belongings and the bathroom would become increasingly dirty. Whenever I mentioned the chore chart or asked her to help out, she would make excuses or promise to do it later, but she rarely followed through. This has led to a lot of tension between us. I hate living in a dirty apartment, so I end up cleaning the shared areas myself just to maintain some level of cleanliness. The situation has become so stressful that I find myself avoiding her just to prevent another fight. How can I get my roommate to understand how important it is for both of us to contribute to the household chores? -- Messy Roommate

DEAR MESSY ROOMMATE: Sadly, you are experiencing a common problem for roommates, and you will have to confront her in order to have any chance of making things better. You should not have to suffer in filth in order to be sensitive to her feelings. Call a meeting with her, and go through your list of grievances. Let her know that you believe it is unfair and disrespectful for her to treat the shared spaces in your apartment with such neglect. Remind her that the two of you agreed on chores as well as a general sense of what tidiness means for your space, and she has not been holding up her side of the deal. Invite her to start anew. Reestablish days of the week for overall cleaning. Ask her to do basic things to clean up after herself, like washing her dishes and putting away her belongings.

If she continues to refuse to make an effort, check the terms of your lease and start planning an exit strategy.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I work in a real estate company, and lately, I've been drowning in work stress. My co-worker, who's usually my go-to for support, has been ghosting me and brushing off my messages and requests for help. I've tried to collaborate with him, but he seems totally uninterested and dismissive of my struggles. It's hurtful and frustrating, especially since I've always had his back when he needed a hand. There are multiple occasions when he has been swamped and I stayed late to help him out, no questions asked. I'm not sure how to bring it up with him without things getting awkward. It's tough feeling like I'm flying solo when I thought I had a solid work buddy in my corner. -- Work Bud

DEAR WORK BUD: Be direct. Tell him how disappointed you are that he hasn’t stepped up to support you since you have always supported him. You need his help now. Will he give it? If not, write him off. Get your work done, and open your eyes to see who can be your new ally.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)