Arrgg..how to handle this...

You are right, you can change your mind for any reason. Just as long as you understand from a customers point of view you may be seen as dishonest.

I have been in a business owner for many years (unrelated business). Both myself and my employees have screwed up jobs. Despite our mess ups and being the most expensive in town our parking lot is always full. I simply believe it is because I am 100% honest with my customers and I will bend over backwards to make my screw up right. Shop has been here 30+ years now.

Nice, I can see you have a solid set of principles and have been in business for a long time.

Allow me to ask you, If a job was done correctly and a customer asked for a refund and you said sure. Then you had a moment to think about it and realised there is no merit on her part to issue such a refund . Would you still refund her?

porky101 wrote in post #16807710
Nice, I can see you have a solid set of principles and have been in business for a long time.

Allow me to ask you, If a job was done correctly and a customer asked for a refund and you said sure. Then you had a moment to think about it and realised there is no merit on her part to issue a refund . Would you refund her?

I wouldn't have said 'sure' without finding out why and thinking about it first. But had I told a customer yes I would refund them, I would stand behind my word. In the end the only thing a person truly has is their word and if you don't have that.... you have nothing.

So then for you, your word is more important than the situation.

forgive me Traci, but I have to push this further now.

If you later found out that it was indeed for drug money, would you still stand by your word and give it to them? because In the end the only thing a person truly has is their word and if you don't have that.... you have nothing.

If I refunded them money it would become their money. Why would I care how they use their money?

Plain and simple if I said I would refund them.. they would be refunded. I would not care what they use the money for... none of my business.

Your drug example is not even the same thing, as was pointed out earlier.

the flying moose wrote in post #16807633
Not even close to the same thing. You provided a service they were unhappy with, they asked for a refund and you agreed. Then you changed your mind. That's not even remotely close to borrowing money from a friend for drugs.

Ok, thanks for your honest reply.

Most people would have trouble answering that.

Me personally, My word is inferior to the situation at hand. If the situation is one which requires me to break a promise, law or go against my word, I will do that.

I guess then I am NOT a man of my word. I am a man of principles, values and core beliefs and I am guided by those.


I don't mean to attack you, but I disagree with this

I feel it is everyone's responsibility to care, what if its for somesort of terrorism? I dont mean to paint you in a bad light, I mean to paint your attitude in one. It doesn't cost any money to care?? In this hypothetical situation you would have landed up keeping your money!
My examples are harsh, but that's the way I see things

So you've introduced drug abuse and now terrorism as equivalent reasons for your changing you mind on whim regarding a refund you promised. This gets more convoluted each post. When did yout find out the client you refused to provide the refund to was a drug using terrorist.?

porky101 wrote in post #16807682
If there is a valid reason, you can and should in some cases change your mind!

And what is your valid reason? They paid you for a service, they were unhappy with service, ask for their money back and you agreed. Then you decided that for whatever reason you were going back on your word. On top of that you publicly admit you screwed up the birthday shoot.

Taken from post #122

porky101 wrote in post #16804316
I hope I dont skrew up these people's wedding like I did this womans birthday.

Not my mind. Im showing examples that in certain cases changing your mind is almost a requirment! Making any argument that "changing your mind is wrong" incorrect.

What I type and what I mean can be two different things, Sadly as Banquetbear said you dont know my tone or voice or what I truly meant.

I was being sarcastic.I never screwd up the photo's. She had great fun at her birthday event, even I did.
She simply was not happy with the photo's for whatever reason. Did I screw up the pictures? Nope I never. Did I perhaps make her feel uncomfortable after showing her the pictures and seeing I concentrated more on the other girls? Possiblly? even i dont know the answer to that. But if I were to guess, I think thats the right one. What I do hope is i dont piss these people off like i have somehow managed to do with these people. But it has already been established, earlier on in the thread that I did a decent job. Im not just saying that...go back and read. The photo's are sweet.

Ill ask you this moose, If someone was unhappy with your service, would you refund them because of that reasoning?

I find it interesting that every post from you guys is an attack on me. You have not given me an ounce of "your right" even when I am.
I am starting to seperate people here into 3 groups, some that dislike me, some that like me and a few who dont take sides.

Normally I ignore grammar and spelling mistakes but this is bugging the hell out of me... it's not skrew, it's screw.... with a C not a K.

fixed

Porky,

If you offered a refund I think you owe. As a business owner you have to think before you commit and once you commit you have you honor it. Once you say it you have to do it.

As a business owner myself (not related to photography), we have made mistakes and paid for them. I consider you telling her you would refund the money a mistake. I think this is a cheap lesson learned and I believe/hope you learned from it.

porky101 wrote in post #16807851
Not my mind. Im showing examples that in certain cases changing your mind is almost a requirment! Making any argument that "changing your mind is wrong" incorrect.

No one said changing your mind in general is wrong. Whether you agree with it or not, telling a client you will give them a refund and then telling them forget it is nowhere near the same as your drug analogy.

You have every right to do what you choose with your business but personally the $60 you made is nowhere near worth the damage you have probably caused towards your reputation as a photographer in town. There are how many people in this situation that will have discussed this with their friends, families and neighbors. There are four girls in this situation that will getting married one day and those are weddings you won't be even considered when it comes to looking for a photographer.

I don't agree with that enough (I agree to a point).

That being said, did I really commit? I simply said sure. No mention of WHEN? No mention of an amount? I would have to hear your definition of a commitment. Me simply saying sure over an argument, in my mind, is not a proper commitment to begin with. And to be honest with you, if someone verbally makes a commitment under pressure, don't be surprised if they back out a bit later. If you want a proper commitment from people, you cant scream at them and when they say ok think you have a fully committed person on the other end.

You know, Cigarretes KILL people...and those companies still do well.
Alcahol destroys family's and they still do well.
Google are bully's and are hated by thousands.
Mcdonald's make people fat and they are the worlds biggest fast food chain

Imagine how many people hate these guys? And you know what....they are still successful. Just like I plan to be. I doubt the damage is huge except for a SINGLE unhappy birthday girl, lets not blow this out of proportion like my analogies.

Nope, but the principle is.

Agreed, was a mistake. Just like me communicating with the birthday girl directly that was a mistake too. Luckily its not a mistake I could not correct.