Is this NORMAL??

[Karebear98]

A girl I grew up with of all people is being the most difficult of anyone I have had to deal with so far. I am getting asked to bend over backwards for what is most likely only a 200.00 print order.

Now she is asking if I can "itemize" my package for her so she can see what each item costs??? I have never asked a photographer to do that, even before I became one. Is this normal and would you/do you do it?

[texkam]

You talking about...

Session fee = $$$
12 4x6s @ $$ea = $$$
4 8X10s @ $$ea = $$$
2 16x20s @ $$ea = $$$
Sub Total = $$$
Tax = $$
Total = $$$

Not sure what normal is, but sure I'd itemize, but I wouldn't apologize for my price. What else was she asking for?

[Tom]

Not really sure what you are asking. Does she want you to itemize your package?

Sitting fee: $250
Print Package #2: $200
incl:
2: 4x6
2: 5x7
1: 8x10
1: 11x14
Sub-total: 450
Tax: 37.13
Total: 487.13

Checks can be mailed to:
Name
Address
City, Zip

XOXO
Kara

That's pretty normal. I do this for pretty much every order every day. Just make sure your packages were thought out well. I've seen some photographers that had package deals that were more expensive than if you built that package a la carte or that just didn't make sense.

[Ricco]

while I haven't been in your business, I ran my own and in the past, if a client is being quite unreasonable, I'd just walk away.
Difficult clients are something people have to deal with anyway, but when you're going far and above from someone you know quite well, its time cut them loose.

One of the reasons why I referred my friends to other businesses; its not worth the hassle.

[revjvegas]

She's probably looking for the "but you know me so I should get your BFF super discount" in those prices.

[carrbowl]

yes, it is normal. The better people know you, the difficult they are. "Normally" but that is not always the case.

[ggeen]

I agree with a lot of the answers here but what Renae said rings true. I'm an IT guy so everyone want free IT advice. I provide free service to my parents and a very few close friends. Everyone else I refer to Nerds on Call.

[Karebear98]

Texkam and Tom....she wants to know the price of each photo I have in her package. By the way, I customized her package because she wanted very different items from my usual packages. Secondly, she now wants to slim her arms and remove a chunk of hair that is slightly in her face on a side shot....problem is, she is only getting it in a 4X6...what the hell??? lol

She has taken months to get in her order. She is ordering 50 plus 4x6's and no album from me. She is ordering odd sizes because of frames she already has and is bugging me all the time about why the cropping isn't "zooming in" for her. I explained ratios and about 4x6's..I think she finally got it. She is ordering 10x13's and 10x20's...I just don't know how this print order is going to look since I haven't seen those sizes printed before.
I have already gone above and beyond with edits and additional beauty edit requests are getting on my nerves.

To top it all off, I did the wedding ceremony for free and the bridal portraits for free...This was my first wedding, so granted I needed it under my belt. They seemed so grateful but now during ordering it's almost the attitude that she wants "something for nothing." This is probably my fault for having done free work.

[LadyShutterBug]

i think you've hit the nail on the head. when you provide a free service, it's always a good idea to outline EXACTLY what they'll be getting for free, so there are no delusional expectations.

she probably just wants to know what she's paying for, which is why she wants it itemized.

if she is asking too much where editing is concerned, inform her of the charges that will be added should she require additional editing... unfortunately you've set a precedent with the editing as well. so she probably doesn't understand that she's "asking too much" when asking for more. i don't think it's unusual for her to want a 4x6 to be edited, especially from her wedding. she may be displaying it prominently in her home.

"i customized her package", coming from you, seems like you feel as though you've done her a favor by allowing her to add "odd sizes" to her order... when in reality, what you've done is follow good customer service procedures by allowing your client to purchase the products she needs.

just itemize her purchase. if you just picked a price and gave her X, Y, and Z, there is no need to price EACH of those products, just list your items and quite the package price.

[Karebear98]

This is the package I created for her...feel free to comment:

56 4X6's
3 5x7's
1 8x10
1 10x13
1 11x17
1 10x20
I priced the package out at 250.00 (tax not included)
**The 11x17 and 10x20 are mounted on gatorboard.
The formula I have been using is:
my cost of print multiplied by a factor or either 2 or 3. I then multiply by 30 percent for (profit, overhead etc.), multiply that number by another 30 percent (taxes etc) and the number I come up with is the cost per print.

For example: For the 3 5x7's= 3.45 my cost
x3= 10.35
x.3= 3.105
+= 13.50
x.3= 4.04
+= 17.53 total for 3 5x7's within the package

I don't know if this is right, but I found several formula's online and took from those and came up with this system of pricing. I know a lot of people aren't willing to share their pricing, however I would love feedback. Everytime I tried to account for my "time" spent editing etc, I came up with ridiculously expensive pricing using any formula relating to time.

For larger prints within the packages..such as 11x17 and up, I only multiply by a factor of 2, instead of 3. The factor number is supposed to represent your "skill level." Like say maybe a good veteran of photography could command a factor of 4, 5, or even 6 times as a multiplier.

I originally thought to show the package savings, I would just create the package and then knock off an automatic 15 % to come up with the price. How do you show package savings?

[pbyd]

Kara,
I have said this in other post; I try never to be a friend of a client. It is not that I have not and will not work for friends; it is just that over the years my friends have learned that I do not mix my business and friendship. This may sound mean but I have only one standard discount I offer, and that is to people in uniform. My friends and family all know that my price is just what it its, I run a business and charge as such, I have not stayed in business all these years by playing at photography, it is my income. I have found that friends will expect and ask for things a client would never ask for. When you go to McDonalds or Sears do you ask for a discount or something for free not normally, but if the owner of the McDonalds or Sears were your friends it would be different.
Low end pricing and friends will give you more problems than anything else.
Words of advice from a very old photographer,
Wayne
Photography by Design

[ggeen]

Originally Posted by Karebear98

56 4X6's
3 5x7's
1 8x10
1 10x13
1 11x17
1 10x20

I would either use this with t he package total. It provides your client with the information about what is to be expected in the package. If a 4x6 falls out of the envelope during deliver, at least she will know something happened and that you intended to deliver the package in total.

17.53 total for 3 5x7's within the package

Or, itemize like this. 3@5x7 = $17.53

There is no need to go into any more detail than that.

[Tom]

They seemed so grateful but now during ordering it's almost the attitude that she wants "something for nothing." This is probably my fault for having done free work.

Yep. The cheaper you get them, the more demanding they will be. Always.

[w9ctm]

Originally Posted by Tom

Yep. The cheaper you get them, the more demanding they will be. Always.

So true, so true.............


My .02, I would suggest your pricing is TOO low. Look at web sites of others whose work is comparable to yours, look at what they charge, ensure you are at least in the ballpark. You made your pricing for this first wedding very low. completely understandable under the circumstances in my book. However, you charge more now for the same work, right? Show here what this same "package" would now cost if she were to be booking you now. Show her the discount you gave her. Be pleasant about it and advise her while you are more than happy to stand by your pricing you agreed to, you can not continue to keep editing the same shots for her and there will be additional charges.
Unfortunately, there is not really an easy way out, except to suck it up and do what you can to appease her through fulfilling her order. First ones often do stick with you for a long time....

[Tom]

First ones often do stick with you for a long time....

I stopped shooting weddings for three years.