Why creative agencies in the UK must tackle scope creep with time tracking to stay profitable
If you work in a marketing, PR or creative agency, youāve likely over-serviced a clientāwhether consciously or not; research by The Agency Works found that 66% of UK agencies are over-servicing. And while going the extra mile might seem like good customer service, over-servicing clients comes at a steep cost. It reduces margins, leads to burnout, and erodes the value of your teamās time.
The good news? You can take back control. By tracking time properly, understanding project scope, and using the right tools, agencies can stop the cycle and reclaim profitability.
Why does over-servicing happen?
Over-servicing is common in the UK creative industry, especially where relationships are key and ājust one more thingā is often delivered without charge. The root causes include:
- Scope creep: vague briefs or evolving client demands lead to work beyond the original agreement
- Client expectations: a desire to impress or retain a client results in extra effort without charge
- Internal inefficiencies: inaccurate employee time management, poor resource planning, and underestimating how long tasks take
The hidden cost of over-servicing
Failing to track time or adjust scope appropriately can affect your business in several ways:
- Reduced profitability ā you’re effectively lowering your hourly rate
- Lack of evidence to increase retainers or adjust project fees
- Burnout and staff dissatisfaction due to unclear expectations
- Inability to plan future resource requirements accurately
Left unchecked, over-servicing becomes habitual, and increasingly difficult to break.
A creative agency on a 20-hour retainer kept saying yes to ājust one more tweak.ā on some design work. Howvever, this has gone on for three months. Timemarker surfaced all the unbilled extra time, prompting a quick contract reset and leaving both sides happier and clearer on expectations.
How time tracking gives you clarity and control
Accurate time tracking for agencies is the first step toward solving over-servicing. With an intuitive time tracking software, agencies can gain visibility into where time is going, whether itās billable or not.
Hereās how simple time tracking can help:
- Identify clients or projects consistently going over budget
- Reveal how much unbillable time your team is absorbing
- Show how actual delivery compares to initial quotes
- Use historical data to plan future work more realistically
Using timesheet software to spot and stop scope creep
Adopting a UK timesheet solution tailored for creative agencies can make tracking easier and more effective:
- Prepopulated timesheets help speed up daily logging by auto-filling recent tasks
- Filtering tools simplify large timesheets, making it easier to focus on current projects
- Built-in reports provide key insights into time tracking for project profitability
Even small teams will benefit from a simple timesheet system that shows where time is spent.
How to break the over-servicing habit
Taking back control starts with small changes:
- Define scope clearly: set clear deliverables at the start, and document all changes
- Track all time: even internal and non-billable time, data is essential
- Review regularly: spot trends and respond before they impact profitability
- Train your team: emphasise boundaries, time tracking, and the value of their time
Over time, these practices become part of your cultureāsupporting sustainable, profitable growth.
Final thoughts
Creative agency time management isnāt just about efficiencyāitās about protecting the value of your work. When you understand how much time is spent (and where), youāre better placed to manage client relationships, push back with confidence, and plan for future growth.
Timemarker is a self-serve timesheet platform with UK-based support, designed to help marketing and PR agencies reclaim control of their time.
Start your free trial and see where your time really goes.