unhappy client!?

Question

What do yo guys do when a client is unhappy? I've done about 25 family portrait shoots and had my first client who wasn't that happy with the images. Her family wasn't smiling and as much as i tried to get them "into it" they just stood there. The background was outside and beautiful and she wanted it outside now she is saying that maybe we should do "re-takes" indoors.

TIA!

http://www.imagiyephotography.com

She did say that the results weren't what she "excepted" and the photos didn't look like the one's on my website. However it was a different location and different family so of course the turn out will be different. I'm not trying to be rude but well appearance does help and that could have contributed to her not liking the photos. Her son (14) was being goofy and making faces and when she did smile it was one of those "upside" smiles where the sides of her mouth went down. I'm not a miracle worker and can't make their exterior images look different, they are who they are. She was concerned with the angles (she's a bigger woman) so again i think it's more with how they looked....outdoor shoots are awesome so it wasn't that. So in turn i told her that she can view the whole CD (we'll do it here) and if she isn't happy i can refund her a portion of the amount she paid or re-shoot but not for a couple weeks as i'm booked. I think that sounds satisfactory. I don't want a bad rep!

Answer 1

First you must realize that no matter how well you do your work, you are not going to please everyone.
Some people aren't going to be happy with anything.

Answer 2

There is a type of client you can't please and there is nothing you will be able to do about that. You can change location, posing, everything but them. When you run into one, it's really the best, in my experience, to walk away under terms that would be reasonable to most people.

I think that there are two things that help in this situation. One is a comprehensive contract. Mine can be from 3 pages to as many as 7, depending on what I am shooting. However, there is a very comprehensive core to all the variations. Whatever is discussed about the shoot and is material (in lawyer speak) is included.

Another is being very comprehensive in discussing everything with the customer before the shoot. This doesn't just provide information that will go into the contract, but it is also the point at which you can help the customer clarify what they want in a way that will let you shoot it. Your customer's comment about the pictures not being what they expected hints that maybe you didn't do that, or didn't do it as well as it may need to be done. The addition of the comment that she was expecting something like the images in your portfolio means that she didn't have a clear concept going in.

When I can't get things clarified, it is usually because the client doesn't have a clear idea of what they want. They have an emotional feeling that they respond to, but can't articulate it in a way that you can visually make a statement. When I run into a client like that, I usually explain to them that I can't get a clear idea of what they want and can't do the work because of that. I have a list of photographers that I have worked with in the past and give that to them as a referral list.

Sometimes you have to be a psychologist. I did a family shoot a couple of years ago where the mother was a dominant type and what she had chosen for the session wasn't going to work. I shot what she wanted and then shot what was in reality another session based on what I was seeing when the family wasn't being forced to do what she wanted. Guess what shots were ordered?

When things aren't going the way you want, sometimes you have to go the way they are going.

Vance

Answer 3

It all depends if that clients can give you a bad reputation. Sometimes it is about damage control. The fact that the pictures are outside and not inside don't warrant a re-shoot. However, the if the client does not like how they look perhaps refunding the sitting fee would be a good business move. However, if they insist to do a re-shoot you have to decide are you up to working with the client again. What is too say they like the pictures the second time around. If your gut tells you they never will be happy with your work, respectfully tell them that your style does not match their expectation.

Answer 4

Your obligations depend on what your contract says, but you may be willing to re-shoot indoors for good will. Who knows? The family may have been in the middle of some tragedy, but didn't want to cancel their appointment out of respect for your time. They might just be sticks-in-the-mud, though.

Given that your costs are far lower in your own studio, I'd do another session and let them look at some of your digital captures right then and there. You will be able to gauge their reaction and decide whether you want to continue past the first five minutes or just give it up.

If you are able to please them, they just might become your best referral source.

If you retake the session indoors, be sure to recover all of your original outdoor images! I would do this FIRST - before you begin the indoor session. "Okay, please bring back the original album and we will start over again," would be a good approach to use. If they are not satisfied with them, this should be easy for them to do.

I've been a dentist for 31 years. Fortunately, it has only happened about 5 or 6 times in all those years, but on occasion I have decided to cut my losses and dismiss a patient who just can not be satisfied. This usually involves a patient who is getting dentures who has completely unreasonable expectations. If I can see that I have done as well as anyone else could have done given their situation (and I CAN be honest about this analysis!), nothing makes ME feel better than giving them a 100% refund and telling then that I'm just not their guy. It also lets them know that I am not in it to just steal their money without giving them a satisfactory end result. One of these people sent me several new patients after the experience, because - as he put it - at least I was honest with him and didn't try to rip him off.

Answer 5

First, for your own peace of mind, realize that some people just can't be happy. Second, what does your contract require you to do? Third, how far are you willing to go to keep them and any potential referals?
I took a look at your website, your work is VERY good, much better than your prices indicate. I have a feeling that this client falls into one that may not be happy, not matter what you do. Be very careful about selling CD's of your shoots. If you do that, they buy a minimum package from you and then print whatever they want from the CD. If you do a re-shoot with them, only give them the images of the shoot they buy from. I've spoken to some photographers locally that have had this situation and the client ended up with twice the images on CD because of the two shoots. If your contract includes a satisfaction guaranteed clause, you my be in for a lot of work with this one. Even if it doesn't, a fairly small market area may make it necessary to go further than you'd like to keep good feelings in the community. I would recommend doing ONE re-shoot, in the studio if that's their wish and letting them choose one of the other, not a mixture of the two, this goes for prints and the CD. Another quick comment on the CD, don't give them everything you shoot. Give them a dozen or so images, at most and think seriously about watermarking them until after they order to ensure they come to you for their prints or at least giving them very low res images. This can be inconvenient to you but will also prevent you getting ripped off. I have been to training seminars by photographers that sell 8X10's for over US$200 that will NOT release CD's because it makes the clients buy from them. Printing and mailing proof sheets is also an option if you want them to look at them first before buying. Good luck.
Rob

Answer 6

This really depends upon your personal style.
You have to accept the fact than some people will never be satisfied and those same people may also try to take advantage of you.
My policy has always been this:
I do my best work the first time. I will not shoot the family again, but will be happy to refund your deposit/fee/whatever you may call it.
Done.

This way, you stop the hurt right away, stop anyone from taking advantage of you, and cut your losses. This family is simply not worth the worry. Some are like that. Move on.

BTW, your work rocks.
Raise your prices. Your inexpensive prices are contributing to the attraction of folks like this.

Answer 7

This is a difficult situation, you want to please the customer but yet you don't want to get into a unending cycle of favors for this person who may never be satisfied.

I would offer to re-take the photos, this way you are making a genuine offer to make the customer happy. Also, you can add these nicer photos to your portfolio.

Draft a contract, or amend an existing contract you may have w/ the client, with a provision that explicitly states the conditions of the offer.

Perhaps you will offer a discount of some sort if they are still not happy.

The important thing is to have all the conditions of your services written in a contract so that both you and the client know what your getting into before the work is done.
This way you do not get taken advantage of.

Answer 8

This sort of thing is why you should have a very comprehensive contract. If you dont have one and you are just doing your business by word of mouth and dont advertise much, then you will want to do the re-take. The negative word of mouth generated if you dont "make her happy" will kill your business... for a while.

I am not saying that the client is right, I am just saying that for the sake of your business you should just do it. I am only seeing your side of things, but I have seen/done nice portraits and had people complain like this sort of thing. I'd bet this is a friend of a family member. If the family doesnt want to smile, theres not much you can do.

If however you have business thats not just word of mouth and you have a contract, then you need to stick to your guns. If word gets around that people can get 2 photo shoots for the price of one you'd go out of business trying to keep up.

An odd thing, if she was that unhappy with YOU, then why on earth would she want you to do re-takes. Smells kind of funny to me.

Answer 9

Don't let a client take advantage of you. But at the same time, your reputation is more important than that one sale. If one person is unhappy with you, 2000 people are unhappy with you. This is a proven fact from a research company.

Anyway, when you reshoot, try candid shots instead of posed shots. This always works for stubborn people. Just talk to them while you are taking 'test shots' and get them laughing, not smiling. Make them say something stupid like 'mom's undies' or 'baggy bottoms' which almost always gets a laugh. Another trick to try is tell them to say to the person next to them, "Wow! You're looking good today!" and when they finish laughing, they will all look back at the camera and you have a fraction of a second to capture it before it dies again.

Hope this helps

EDIT: who the hell is going around giving everyone thumbs down? I wish we could see who rates answers so we can nail dickheads like the one who's running riot through the photography section

Answer 10

Sometimes in business you need to look at the big picture. That is keeping your customer happy. If you are just doing this "on the side" it might not be quite so important but if you have aspirations of growing your business then keeping your customer happy is of HIGHEST priority. One unhappy customer can have a major negative impact. So you need to decide how important it is your business that you don't have a family out there talking about your bad results(their perspective,but that's all that matters to them) and unwillingness (your attitude) to try again.

Answer 11

the style of BS is between the various motives I have been given completely out of the marriage biz. Ugggh. yet to respond to your question, an extremely effectual photographer I easily have taken some instructions from grew to become into between the very few who gave his wedding ceremony shoppers in writing a a hundred% money returned assure that they could like their photographs. He pronounced that throughout over 30 years of doing weddings, he has had he thinks in line with probability 3 people who demanded a refund. in accordance to him, he have been given plenty greater company via offering the assure and if he gets a worry maker as quickly as in a blue moon who needs their money returned, that's properly worth it to circumvent them attempting to break his attractiveness and making a foul subject worse. you will possibly be able to might desire to easily look at it that way. merely provide the whining A HOLES their money returned with a grin and understand that throughout the long-term you would be plenty greater advantageous off for doing it. because of the fact the previous asserting is going, "you are able to't win 'em all". steve