So you've started your photography business. You're trying to get your portfolio expanded a little bit. You're missing one thing...customers. So you start offering "free" or "low cost" photo shoots to drum up not only business, but also an opportunity to expand your portfolio.
So you have your photo shoot, you tell your client a timeframe of when to expect the photos back. Everything seems great! You're going to edit them anyway you like, and you're taking your time to get the image JUST right to how you see fit. And then out of nowwhere it happens...
Customers can be anyone including friends and family. Photo by My Imagination Photography.
Your phone starts going off with text messages...phone calls and possibly emails from said client.
"Do you have a preview ready?" "When will the photos be ready?" "Can you crop out something for me?" "Can you edit this to make my face look thinner?" "Can you remove this item because I didn't think it would show up in the photos?" "When will the photos be ready?" (I added that last one in a 2nd time for emphasis.) But yes you WILL get questions like this from customers who won't respect the boundary that you placed at the end of the photo shoot...the timeframe to expect the photos.
Cusotmers willl interrupt editing. Photo courtesty of Wix.
This is going to sound sooo bad, but it's a necessary thing to know as a photographer. Customers are going to drive you absoultely INSANE when it comes to their photos. You're going to have great customers. You're going to have horrible customers. You're going to have amazing customers. You're going to have customers from hell. In complete honesty, you're going to have a mixed bag of people no matter how bad you want to have a great photography business.
So how do you handle customers in your photography business? In complete and full transparency and honesty...it's completely up to you! Yes I said it! It's completely up to you! This is YOUR photography business. YOU are the brand. YOU are the CEO. YOU are the supervisor, the photo supervisor, the equipment manager, the photographer editor. It's YOUR business. Do you have to kiss ass to a customer to make them happy? If you chooose to...go right ahead. Do you have to bend over backwards to make them happy? It's your perrogative. I'm not here to tell you that you need to follow a certain set of customer service rules. I'm just not.
In order to photograph you need customers. Photo credit by My Imagination Photography
It may sound crass and insensitve, but in true honesty and transparency, customers will work your LAST nerve! They will complain about the smallest things and will want you to ulitmately give them FREE products. And as expensive as running a photography business can be, you honestly don't have time to be giving away free product every single photo shoot. Now before you take what I say and run to the bank with it...I'm not saying to be out right rude to people. No, what I'm saying is that you hold tightly to your contracts and your Word so that there is NOTHING to dispute about.
Before you snap one photograph with a client, you must have them agree to a contract and it MUST be signed. If there is a deposit or fee charged before the shoot, that must be paid in full before the shoot as well. Just remember this...deposits are to be returned unless specified in the contract. Retainers which is what should be stated, don't have to be returned per contract specifications. (Make sure your wording is correct in every contract you have with a client per your state and local laws.)
Customers need to sign a contract. Photo courtesy of Wix.
As for handling customes who get on your nerves or out of hand, just make sure that you are prepared for backlash. Some will place bad reviews on your reviews section. Which brings me to the point of if you should have a review site or not. Personally if you want to deal with that hassle...as a part of running a legit business...have at it. If you don't want the hassle, it's your choice to not have it. I have dealt with it off ond on...I personally welcome it. I have had customers try to blast me on social media and I honestly have defended my work and integrity. People who have worked with me on multiple occassions have told me that they enjoy my work which is why they're repeat customers. I take pride and value in that.
One thing that I won't do is escalate a situation on purpose with a customer. If a customer is determined to try to get "Free" from me, I will over one item for free. It can be a simple photo gift or print. But that's as far as I will take it. Photographers spend HOURS filming and editing photos. Our craft is discounted too much in this world and practically given away everyday for FREE. Wer're the history loggers and memory makers and we don't get paid enough for such a task. Our equimpment and software costs too much for us to even CONSIDER free. If a customer can't understand that...simply put...they're not your customer.
Making happy memories for customers. Photo credit by My Imagination Photography
I know that this post is very different than most others would post about handling customers. But the culture in this world is ever changing. Sometimes in order to keep business and not LOSE business, you have to defend what's yours and you have to stand up for mistreatment. Respect goes a long way and being a photographer is a respectable profession. Stand on your product and profession. Your clients will definetely benefit from it, and your business will grow with satisfied customers.
If you like this and my other content, don't forget to download my app called "The Studio". It's available on the App Store and Google Play!
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