Client expectations for what they pay for.

[Reportage]

Have you ever made the mistake of accepting a job without checking what the customer expects from the amount paid?

 

[expro]

Have you ever made the mistake of accepting a job without checking what the customer expects from the amount paid?

You have to find out what the customer want before you quote.

 

[Agetan]

If you want to run the business for a long term.

You will first have to discuss with clients on what they "want" and make sure what they "want" is practical.

Make your recommendation on what you "think" is the best for them.

And hopefully, what you recommend and what they "want" comes in together.

Then you can work out a quote....

Of course, there are model where you just let your client know what you do, what you charge and they decide if they want to purchase your service.

Never just trying to get the assignment and work out everything else later.

I did a shoot for a company and I did send them the whole quotation and they approve it. The shoot over run and obviously the "variation" is billed according to contract, then they refuse to pay in the beginning but there isn't much to debate if we are going through the procedure.

My advise to people who is "making" a trade of photography, is never have a mentality of "aiyo, get the job and payment first then worry about the rest later".

It should be the otherway... you tell your clients everything there is to know, then if they like your work, you are welcome to ask them for prepayment for your service to cover your initial "preparation" time cost.

However, there will be a case where, no matter how much you explain, your work is come out to what is a match to your portfolio, and your client change their mind on what they want... it is a matter of you finding out the issue from there...

Hope it helps.

Regards,

Hart

 

[Anson]

Normally you would spell out the deliverables before accepting an assignment.

 

[hotwork77]

Normally you would spell out the deliverables before accepting an assignment.

Urm...there are some who will tend to get the job first and then quote. When there's an overrun...the "smaller" clients will usually back out from any further payments. In the end both parties suffer. The photographer suffer from loss of income due and the client suffers from "sub-standard deliverables".

On a side note: I come across many photographers who tell me that no matter how much they quote, the clients tend to push down the price and the often cited reason is they don't have that much budget.

 

[Agetan]

On a side note: I come across many photographers who tell me that no matter how much they quote, the clients tend to push down the price and the often cited reason is they don't have that much budget.

hahaha... how true... especially commercial work.

Regards.

Hart

 

[Kit]

I think I'm usually more concerned with clients who doesn't really have an idea of what they want

 

[catchlights]

I think I'm usually more concerned with clients who doesn't really have an idea of what they want

yeah, that's right :bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

client: "do you shoot xxxx?"

photographer: "yes I do, how do you want it?"

client: "you give me A to Z first"

photographer: "and.....?"

client: "So I can pick what is more suitable for me"

photographer: "what is budget?"

client: "$XX.00"

photographer: "for that amount of money, you only can get 1"

clients: "yes, I only need one"

photographer: "than how about the rest?"

clients: "I don't need them, so I don't need to pay them"

photographer: "OK, that's fine with me............ please decide which ONE you WANT and call me."

 

[Agetan]

Eh... That why you should always charge a creative fee... That is a time for you to do the work. Then the client can pick which one they like....


Regards,

Hart

 

[catchlights]

Eh... That why you should always charge a creative fee... That is a time for you to do the work. Then the client can pick which one they like....


Regards,

Hart

yes, I believe in charging a creative fee, plus clients pay for what they intent to keep.

since all the shots are "custom made" for them, if don't want to pay, why don't go and buy stock images?

 

[snowspeeder]

yes, I believe in charging a creative fee, plus clients pay for what they intent to keep.

since all the shots are "custom made" for them, if don't want to pay, why don't go and buy stock images?

I came across a client who don't wanna buy stock images, want their shots to be super creative with 'impact'; best part is don't really know what they want, don't want to hire an advertising agency (just want the photographer to propose and do everything), have very limited time to compete job from scratch, and have low $xxxx budget. :bsmilie: Well I'm not interested.

 

[Kit]

yes, I believe in charging a creative fee, plus clients pay for what they intent to keep.

since all the shots are "custom made" for them, if don't want to pay, why don't go and buy stock images?

Exactly. There is a cost to every images created, regardless of whether the client will use it or not eventually. We can't be feeding a bottomless pit.

 

[Agetan]

But the question remains.... why many has not started doing it and bitch about not getting paid? what prevent them? On the other hand, when you have gotten the pay, what have one do to make sure client is happy?

A simple example...

I was at ION having my Char Kwe Tiao... the stall seller was eager to get the "job" so I ordered it, what interest me is to observe what he do to serve the next client... I don't think many clients were happy with the attitude... in that space of 5 minutes... some even walk away...

Same thing apply here...

If one care to offer one's service, one have to care servicing one's client... honestly.

Regards,

Hart

 

[Kit]

I'm not sure if I caught your analogy. So what did the seller do to the next customer that the rest had to walk away?

I don't think asking to be paid reasonably equates to not being sensitive to the clients' needs. I think most of us(or at least photographers I know) gets paid upon delivery of goods to the clients so we work on the basis that only happy clients will pay. A single business model cannot be applicable to all genres I'm afraid.

I don't know. Might have missed your point.

 

[Kit]

My analogy, perhaps a little extreme.....

A fruit seller can offer 5 apples to his customer to choose one. However, its unthinkable for an architect to work out 5 different designs for a house for his client to decide on one. So does that means the architect is going to make his client unhappy?

As you can see, both businesses have to be operated differently. Similarily, diffenent genres of photography require vastly different amount of time, effort and approach to generate one single image, hence different business models should be adopted.

 

[Agetan]

My analogy is about the service after getting paid. Not asking for the payment.

Sorry for confusing you.

Hart

 

[catchlights]

My analogy is about the service after getting paid. Not asking for the payment.

Sorry for confusing you.

Hart

you confusing me too. :dunno:

are you referring to the vendors giving clients cold shoulder after getting the payment but his service not fully render?

or after the job completed and closed?

and "Not asking for the payment." is it referring to vendors just willing to provide service to clients and not demanding for any form of compensation from them?

 

[Agetan]

Basically, what I am trying to say is, after the payment, the attitude towards service suddenly change and basically having the "I got the job" so why care? Type attitude,..

Sure, at the end, the food is being rendered but ultimately, what I am trying to get at is, the equation between getting paid and end product somehow there is a gap between them. That is lack of service to the client after payment and before them getting the product...

The end product is important by the process between payment to end product do differentiate a business... It is total experience rather than just end product satisfaction.

I hope I don't confuse you guys further... I hope I make sense... :bsmilie:

Call me if u need explanation.


Hart

 

[clioboy]

lock down the deliverable and costing to them..

but also watch out for scope creep..

in mid shoot, suddenly add this, add that...

 

[catchlights]

Basically, what I am trying to say is, after the payment, the attitude towards service suddenly change and basically having the "I got the job" so why care? Type attitude,..

Sure, at the end, the food is being rendered but ultimately, what I am trying to get at is, the equation between getting paid and end product somehow there is a gap between them. That is lack of service to the client after payment and before them getting the product...

The end product is important by the process between payment to end product do differentiate a business... It is total experience rather than just end product satisfaction.

I hope I don't confuse you guys further... I hope I make sense... :bsmilie:

Call me if u need explanation.


Hart

I see, once money exchange hands, service standard are drop right to the bottom. that is typical and very common but it is not a norm,

that is why some time photographers having hard time to ask for payment in advance, cos there is no trust between photographers and clients/customers.

anyway, photography business covers a lot of aspects, customers service just one of the element photographer also need to focus on.

doom to those who think able to take good photos is good enough to run a photography business.