Should customers have to create accounts?

This is a simple question which has been delaying some of our development efforts.  When a customer submits a job for bidding, should he / she be required to create a username and password the first time?

I know as a user, I hate creating a username / password when I access a site.  If its the type of service where I would be logging in daily for an indefinite period “just for fun”, then I can understand the need for creating a full-fledged account.  However, I don’t think WorkGrabber will be used like that from a customer’s perspective.

So here’s my reasoning.  As a contractor, you will likely be checking the site for new jobs, messages, responses etc. daily.  You need a secure username and password.  The lifespan of a contractor’s interaction with the site is indefinite.

However, as a customer your lifespan on the site is a lot shorter (unless, of course, your house is falling apart).  Once you submit a job, you will be working with contractors until you find the one you want to hire.  After that, your job is essentially closed and you won’t be “logging in” to the site until you have a new job to submit.  By that time, you would have probably forgotten your password anyways.

To summarize, my thoughts are to provide for a customer’s email address when he/she is posting a new job.  This email will be used to send a verification link in an email.  When you receive the verification link, clicking on it allows the customer to manage it, view bids, answer questions, etc.