Sometimes clients really tick me off....

[Jusselin]

So i love photography right?, Specifically portrait work. However i seriously can not stand certain people...The last few clients looked at us like we were the devil when we asked for a deposit or even mentioned money. They get their hopes up and fantasize about this glamorous shoot that they saw on our site or FB and then when you mention money its like some one scratched a record and everything stops.

BECAUSE of this my partner and i decided to run a promo and for this month only we were offering free sessions (with the exception of a $100 booking fee, just to get a commitment out of the client to show up) The booking fee went towards the purchase of images when the shoot was over. But we started this promo to get our name out a little more and build our portfolio a bit more as well.

Well last night we had some clients meet up with us. They got our email off of our website and they said they LOVED our work and we did a friend of theirs senior photos and they were sooooo beautiful. And they knew we werent cheap but wanted to talk to us about a photo shoot.

So we get together and basically they had 2 daughters....one graduating from college and one graduating from HS....the party was the same day and the invitations would be on the same paper being mailed out together....They wanted a senior session for both girls but at the same time.......so we said cool....they wanted it done asap...we said cool lol... $100 deposit explained the $$$ goes towards prints afterwards, THEN THEY LOST ALL SENSE OF EVERYTHING.... Whaaaaa???? money$$$$$$


never heard from them again



GHEY!

[panhandler]

Ain't that the truth! I talk to a client on the phone and they commit to a day for their shoot a few weeks off and all is well till..................and I need a 50% deposit to put you on my calendar in "ink"! They think that I'm going to hold a date and time open for them without a deposit only to turn a person willing to make a deposit and commitment....sorry Charlie...but that ain't the way I work!

[groovyone]

What were they expecting??

[Jusselin]

steve i know what you mean....

Keith....beats me, but i am so sick and freaking tired of hearing about walmarts phot studio....if another client mentions walmarts work and their prices at a meeting...things will not end up pretty... DO NOT COMPARE ME TO WALMART!

I actually care about what your images will look like, and invest my time into making you happy.

[PhotoByLeal]

Originally Posted by Jusselin

steve i know what you mean....

Keith....beats me, but i am so sick and freaking tired of hearing about walmarts phot studio....if another client mentions walmarts work and their prices at a meeting...things will not end up pretty... DO NOT COMPARE ME TO WALMART!

I actually care about what your images will look like, and invest my time into making you happy.

Jusselin, there's a reason why your customers compare you to WALMART?
Do you or partner work or have you ever worked there?
Do you live in, close or around WALMART? J/K!
Is there something on your website, FB or blog that says or show that your photography is WALMART pictures?
I would start asking your clients why they compare you to Walmart?(is your office in Walmart, J/K..... like the tax people Jackson something....

Thank GOD I DON"T have that problem!

The only advice I can tell you to tell them or put in your contracts, is that payment must be in FULL before the shoot or the camera doesn't come out!

Good Luck.....

[Jusselin]

they dont compare us TO walmart they just always bring it up that walmart takes a photo and you get like 100 of them for $4 or something....Im saying that walmart has warped the minds of those around us.....no one understands that ACTUAL photography cost more than $19.95 and prints are not $4

[PhotoByLeal]

the only other thing I can suggest, that's if you don't already have one... is to get a PRINT portfolio from your lab and some from WALMART so you can show the customer the quality difference, which WALMART is not that good...... especially if your going to use Bay Photo, which is an AWESOME lab that partnered with SmugMug! good luck

[Jusselin]

been wanting to get a printed portfolio for a while...just not sure where to get one...any references?

[PhotoByLeal]

Originally Posted by Jusselin

been wanting to get a printed portfolio for a while...just not sure where to get one...any references?

I have been using Bay Photo before SmugMug partnered with them!
The first lab I used was EZ Prints which is the other labd that SmugMug uses, there OK! I'm telling you I have NEVER had a problem with Bay and if you do they will FIX IT till the PROBLEM bets fixed!

Great peeps to work with, if you ever go to a WPPI or Image USA, stop by there booth and jus talk shop! They ROCK....

I would go with an 8x10 or 11x14 portfolio, bigger the print, better the pictures.... jus my .02 cents!

later.

[Jusselin]

word...awesome, i will check into it....I use bay photo with my smugmug now!

[texkam]

so you can show the customer the quality difference

Photography is no different than many other professions. Most people just don't care. Few can even see, much less appreciate quality and creativity and of the ones that can, few are willing to pay for it. Very frustrating indeed.

[Jusselin]

Originally Posted by texkam

Photography is no different than many other professions. Most people just don't care. Few can even see, much less appreciate quality and creativity and of the ones that can, few are willing to pay for it. Very frustrating indeed.

word!

[MicWayWal]

Jusselin,

Your fishing in the wrong pool of customers.
Your fishing (i.e. marketing) in the pool of people that are Wal-Mart shoppers. You need to stop fishing in that water today.

Go and find the pool in Harlingen that has Dillard's, Macy's, or even Neiman Marcus shoppers. FISH IN THAT POOL. Granted there are not as many customers in that pool as the one you are in, but that pool has some whoopers. One customer from that pool will bring you what 20 will bring you in the other pool. They understand what quality and customer service is all about.

Before you say it, there is a huge pool of those kind of shopper's in Harlingen. Believe it or not, there are women in Harlingen, who get in their car and drive to McAllen to go to Macy's. If you did not know it there are women, who will drive all the way to San Antonio just to go shopping at Neiman Marcus. You find those women and you will be fishing in the right pool.

[texkam]

+1, but the bait has to be better too. : )
Good luck Jusselin.

[ChrisTX]

I don't know how you guys do it. Seems like the minute you take money for it, the fun goes out the window. I know people say they love getting paid for doing what they love, but does that honestly happen?