keeping my customers

[aaskyscrapers]

hello everyone,

i own a small business which takes photos for realtors of houses all around texas. i am slowly building a team of photographers to handle different areas of the state.

how should i handle the customers so they come back to my business rather than directly to the photographers? they probably realize it would be cheaper just to go to the photographer, and will just ask them to cut my business out of their deals.
how do i prevent that?

should i not give away their cell phone numbers, email address on their business cards? should i make the photographers sign contracts? i handle all the paperwork, office supplies, receipts, sales, etc, etc.

[tcphoto1]

That has got to be the toughest genre of our profession. Everyone with a digital camera thinks that they can shoot interiors. I find it amazing how someone thinks they can use point and shoot images to sell a house. Whether it's 200k or a $3Million home the realtor is too cheap to pay for quality. How do you keep your customers? You provide beautiful images at a reasonable price and do it in a professional manner. If you are afraid of the customer going direct to the photographer have them sign a document that restricts them from doing so.

[aaskyscrapers]

well the photographers meet all the realtors at the property so the house can be opened. the photos my photographers create are great and im not worried about losing customers to other companys. i just worry about losing my customers to my own photographers

[breadandbutter]

Have the photographers sign a contract that stipulates their boundaries.

[aaskyscrapers]

i mean, how do i know they arent breaking it though? send a test every once in a while and fire those who fail?

[Jethro790]

All you can do is make your employees sign a do not compete contract, which doesn't do much in reality becasue there is always a way around them in court. Your best defense is making sure you hire trustworthy employees. Sending a test every now and then may not be the best way to go- eventually the word will get out and people don't look kindly at being policed. I have found that it can actually make the issue worse.