17. May 2012 by Frank Goad.

I like my clients a lot. I really do, and there’s something that happens over and over, and that’s constant tweaking on projects. Folks should get what they want, to be sure, but there’s a point where changes are “gilding the lily,” as they say. Just like eating, there comes a point where you have to push away from the table. 

Logos are particularly touchy because folks have an idea of what they want in their head, but they often fail to realize that to get it juuuuuust right takes time. The more changes you make the more billable minutes tick away and often the changes wind up being useless. When the person you hire says, “That’ll take me about thirty minutes to fix,” think to yourself, “I just asked him/her to make my bill larger.” We’re not trying to run up the bill, just make you happy; by the same token, don’t go cheap as that’s worse. It comes down to being reasonable about what you want want us to do and the cost to do it.

We have to eat, too, and our time is valuable. By saying we’re charging too much, you are saying that our work is worth less than the results we give you, or that you think we should be better at our jobs, meaning faster. It takes what it takes just as your job does.

Let’s say you’ve recently gotten an update on the costs you’ve incurred. Even if we give you the current total, one afternoon’s work can push that number a couple hundred dollars higher. I’ve warned clients, “This is going to take (an hour, a few hours, etc.),” and they still act aghast when they get the bill.

To give you an example, I was working with a client last summer who was constantly tweaking the project. Despite keeping her abreast of totals, when told that we were over budget and by how much she got pretty upset and demanded an accounting of the time. When she saw that she was responsible for the overage, that it could have been avoided and was advised all along (phone calls, emails, etc.), she acted offended despite earlier saying it was “brilliant” work.

What got to me was that earlier in the summer, she’d bragged about a set of golf clubs she’d bought that cost almost twice what we charged. That was a little hard to swallow to think that sporting goods were more valuable to her than our services.

I’m always committed to getting clients what they want and, despite my best efforts, they often seem shocked when they see how much time it takes to do these things. Even though I use a computer to do most of my work, I’m still sitting there building and writing and tweaking and smoothing and aligning and so on. We want the best for you, so please remember that this is an investment.

If you hire a graphic artist or web designer or writer or any other creative person, help them help you to not freak out when you get your bill: Be decisive. If you do make a lot of little changes - and even tiny changes can take an hour or two sometimes - don’t freak out at the bill because we’re only doing what you ask us to do.

Please remember, we’re helping you make your image and “pitch” more persuasive and memorable. We’re offering you experience and expertise that others don’t have and that make a difference in your success. We’re on your side, really.

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2. November 2011 by Frank Goad.

Dumping some customers is good for business. For instance, there’s a drafthouse movie theatre out west that routinely kicks out customers. Why? For talking or texting during the movies - strictly verboten during the shows and evidently well documented on the walls and during the pre-movie trailers. One customer got escorted out for texting for which she sent an email brimming with profanityto the management. The theatre does some of its own ads and read the email in a spot aired before the movies. They closed it by saying they’re glad she’s not coming back. It’s a rather pointed warning for those in their seats, too.

A bad customer can cause good ones to leave simply because they don’t want to be around them. Yes, yes, yes — it is very tough to tell someone to hit the road and not come back. That goes against everything we have learned as business people. The number one thing we’re taught is, “The customer is always right,” and no, they’re not … well, I don’t think so. Sometimes they’re abusive, chiseling creeps who do their best to get one over, or get you to work for free and, well, you get the idea.

Generally, though, customers are right and if one customer is causing others to leave or complain, then the only reason to keep the troublesome customer is because they are giving you tons of money. If that’s the case, think creatively about how to work with them so that they’re isolated from other customers. Maybe you set up a Skype connection so that they can order without leaving their office. Maybe you visit them on their premises, or assign one person to deal with them in an office somewhere else at your place of business.

The other thing to question is, are they driving off customers and you don’t see it? Many folks just stop showing up and don’t voice their dissatisfaction or discomfort. The solution for this is to talk one-on-one with random customers as often as possible. Most won’t say anything unless it’s a fairly direct set of questions, so create a standard list that you ask all customers. You get a better sense of what’s working or not when your questions are standardized.

Don’t be afraid to cull the herd, thin the ranks, take the trash to the curb, and whatever saying you use. Sometimes, that’s all you can do, so don’t feel badly if it happens.

Posted in Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, Customers, Frank Communications, retail, business, business relationships, building business, Public relations | Print | No Comments »