Saving the World One Pixel at a Time

“Success is hard by the yard, but is a cinch by the inch”—Don Feltner

I’ve often said that success is hard but failure is easy but you can stack the odds in your favor by providing competition-crushing customer service. While this may sound like tactics from Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” it’s more like common sense and common courtesy. The only problem with both of these commodities is that they’re not so common anymore, which is part of the reason why customer service for most consumer and even b-to-b goods and services has all but evaporated in today’s economy. That sounds bad, but is really the good news. The best way to make your customer service work better is to turn your last personal customer service experience around 180 degrees. Now, you’re off to a good start.

Nobody like angry customers and a verbally abusive client can be difficult for some photographers or their employees to deal with. When faced with such situations the only thing to do is ask in a calm voice: “What would you like me to do?” At that point, if they insist on being an idiot, there’s really nothing more you can do for them. One of the realities of life is that some individuals find it impossible to go through life without making everything difficult for themselves and all those about them. Sooner or later, you’re going to run into one of these customers and the best thing you can did is bid them adieu as politely as you can and send them on their way.

After you ask that million-dollar question, most reasonable people will want to work with you and, more often than not, what they really want is simple and easy for you to provide. Sure, sometimes you may have to eat a little of your profit and perhaps they may never come back again but the odds are in your favor because a happy customer only tells one or two people if they have a favorable business experience, unhappy clients tell ten people.

What’s more, you will find that when you ask that question, most customers are so amazed that you actually want to work with them and solve their problems—and don’t be naive, some problems are inevitable—that they will not only spend more money with you but will become life-long customers. One irrefutable business truth is that the manner in which customer complaints are handled is the mark of a company that has respect for their customers and themselves and are not the tactics of a fly-by-night, take-the-money-and-run operation that only cares about short term profits. Remember that you started your studio because of your passion for photography, don’t let it evaporate because of the failure to ask a simple question.

Joe is co-author of “Better Available Light Digital Photography” published by Focal Press. His self-published books can be seen at Blurb.com.

There are many Farace’s Laws but the most important one and one that is hard for some photographers to deal with is that your clients don’t care if you go out of business. Many years ago, a Photomethods magazine reader e-mailed me asking: “How can I make my clients love me?” My answer was simple: Cut your rates in half. They will love you but you will go out of business and they will continue to love you as they search for another photographer to do the work that you used to perform. Because, like it or not, the work is going to be done, the only question that remains is by whom?

It may be that all of the client education in the world won’t change the mind of somebody who has already made it up but you can apply some of the following suggestions to other, perhaps clients who just want the best job possible at the best price.

Keep in touch. I think any photographer’s fundamental job is to educate their clients and make them aware of how you use technology to help them do their jobs better. You can educate and keep in touch with clients by creating a client-oriented blog but don’t lose sight of “oldies but goodies” and occasionally mail postcards from companies such as www.4over.com or MOO featuring work you’ve that done. You will be surprised how long they’ll hang onto photo postcards or, better yet, pass along to others.

Forge a partnership. Make yourself invaluable by doing the little things that may not be extremely profitable to your studio but help build client loyalty. You want to make yourself so indispensable that when a client thinks “photographer” she thinks of you.

Don’t loose sight of what business you’re in. We’re imagemakers, first and always. The tools that we use to create those images are unimportant to our clients. What they want is images, when they need them, delivered at a fair price. Being available, being flexible, and being fair are all part of the package.

Remember, that keeping clients is a lot less expensive than finding new ones. Sure, it’s a lot of work but that’s what the business of photography is all about—work. If you wanna play, try golf.