How to Go the Extra Mile for Customers
- Photography Business Ideas to Generate More Income
- How to Start a Photography Business Without Breaking the Bank
photo by filadendron via iStock
In our current climate, there are plenty of photographers to go around. What this means for you is that you need to go the extra mile for customers or else you risk losing them to someone who is going to treat them better.
The frustrating thing is that it can seem impossible to make your clients happy. Learning how to make photography clients happy is definitely a process of trials and errors.
But, if you implement some of the photography business tips on this list, then you’re already that much closer to making sure your clients are happy with you.
Here are five tips to make it easier for you to go the extra mile for customers.
Be Honest About Mistakes
photo by pixelfit via iStock
While you would think that being honest about your mistakes is the bare minimum that customers would expect, it definitely isn’t. In our industry, there are so many people who really don’t understand how to run a business. So, when they make mistakes, instead of owning up to them, they will avoid responsibility for as long as possible because they don’t know how to deal with conflict.
Obviously, this sucks for people who need photography services. But, it’s a great opportunity for you to go the extra mile for customers by doing something really simple: be honest about your mistakes.
Over the course of your career, you’re going to make small mistakes really frequently. But, you’re also going to make really huge mistakes at least a few times. The important thing for you to go the extra mile for your customers is to own up to all of them as soon as you discover them.
Whether you’ve lost all of the photos from your customer’s shoot, or whether you will simply be a little later getting them the edited shots than you originally imagined you would be, be upfront.
Then, after you’ve informed your client about your mistake, offer multiple routes for you to fix them. For instance, if you are going to be two days late getting them their edited shots, offer to send their unedited photos now, offer to send the shots you’ve already edited over on your deadline, and offer a discount for their next shoot. Then, they can pick the fix that seems most fair to them. It gives them a little bit of control and that is an excellent way to go the extra mile for customers.
Understand Your Customers’ Needs
photo by ljubaphoto via iStock
Another way to go the extra mile for customers is to anticipate their needs. A lot of customer service tips for photographers suggest that you can somehow easily anticipate all of your clients’ needs at once.
But, every customer will have different needs. It’s why I think the sit-down session I have with clients before they choose to start working with me is the most important part of the sales process. I want to ask them as many questions as I can so I can figure out if I can meet their needs.
You also need to be very sure that you aren’t making assumptions during this process. For instance, don’t assume that someone who shows up to your appointment in a BMW and designer clothing won’t see money as a barrier. Likewise, don’t assume that an executive marketer will only be concerned with your timeline. Ask questions and actually listen to the answers.
Learn More:
Focus on Organization
photo by fizkes via iStock
Unfortunately, this is another way to go the extra mile for customers that seems like it shouldn’t be. But, so many professional photographers suck at organization. It may be that they simply haven’t been in the game long enough to figure out what works for them or it may be that they genuinely don’t care about organization, but you need to.
Plus, with so many task tracking apps out there, from Monday to Asana to Teamwork, you really don’t have an excuse for letting anything slip through the cracks.
The important thing is that you need to figure out what works for you. Personally, I know that the moment I plan an event, it has to go immediately in my calendar. I also know that the moment I remember a small task, it needs to go in my task tracking application. Otherwise, all of these little things are going to get forgotten and it will be my clients who suffer for my lack of organization.
Go the extra mile for customers by making sure you show up when they need you to.
Get Consistent Feedback
photo by PeopleImages via iStock
One of the best customer service tips I’ve implemented in my business is to get consistent feedback.
But, unless you’re actually implementing that feedback, it is pretty useless. So, go the extra mile for customers by asking for feedback both during and after your experience with them. Then, actually change the way you’re working to fit their needs best.
Give Them a Quality Product
One final way to go the extra mile for customers is to actually care about the quality behind the products you’re upselling them.
A lot of photographers will focus too much on their profit margins and choose crappy suppliers in order to line their own pockets with more money. But, your customers are smart and they will catch on.
Think about the quality of your products as a future investment in your business. When your products are of a high quality, then your clients will come back to you time and time again and they’ll recommend their friends do the same.
One way that I ensure my clients are happy with their products is that I use CanvasHQ regularly. CanvasHQ is a small business, just like mine, so I know that they actually care about the satisfaction of their customers.
Every canvas that they build is hand-stretched and they only use the best materials, which is why their canvases are built to last for over a century.
Plus, you don’t need to worry about your profit margins being awful, since their canvases are still relatively cheap. In fact, they start at just $20.
