The Customer Isn't Always Right

I’m continually amazed at the the things people expect me to do to win their business. I think that “customer is always right” crap is detrimental to business and, perversely enough, good service. If I went along with every demand of every entitled consumer, I would spend all my time and money trying to please people that will never be satisfied, and not be able to serve people who can. Here are five things I’m never going to do win a client.

1. Discount my price because it’s last minute. Just how the hell do you think that lack of prior planning on your part somehow makes my services worth less money? Hint: It doesn’t. In fact, you’re lucky if I don’t add a late notice charge because I had to drop everything to find child care and get ready for your booking.

2. Give you freebies because you feel entitled to them. I’m not Avon. I don’t hand out free samples. I provide a service, and supplies associated with that service, and my charges are set based on my overhead and labor. If I started handing out extras, I would have to raise my prices. Nobody wants that.

3. Book a job without a deposit. It isn’t personal, it’s business. If I book your job, that’s time that I can’t book other jobs. I may need to purchase products specifically for you. If you then cancel last minute - even through no fault of your own- or don’t pay for any reason, I’m out the cost of the products plus whatever I could have made on someone else’s job. I’m self-employed - I can’t afford that level of risk.

4. Use "your own makeup" so you get a better price. My products are customized to your event or shoot, and it’s important that I have extra options if something isn’t working. There’s also a liability issue - I can assure that all my products are safe and sanitary, but I can’t guarantee yours. If you get some gnarly infection after I do your eye makeup, I have legal responsibility even if it was your mascara that caused it. Again, not worth the risk.

5. Take your advice. You want to hire a professional but if you know more than i do, then what's the point? Of course I want to know what you want, but don’t tell me how to do my job. Demanding that I do it your way just denies you the value of my knowledge and experience, and pisses me off. You’re paying for my expertise - use it.