when a client wants their $ back

Question for ya!
I do slideshows with my high end package. I shot a wedding in aug (a low end package that added a slideshow on) and did their slideshow for them. Let me preface this by saying that not one bride has ever disliked my slideshows....
anyways, just got an email from this bride (an older lady around 55) who did not like her slideshow and was rude about it. She criticised the music choices (she sent them to me on cd!!!), the transitions, photo choices (i asked her to let me know which photos she wanted included and she said she would leave it up to me) jsut to hate my choices!! etc. She said it looked slapped together. I spent a lot of time on it. She wants her money back. I feel like telling her how rude her email was and to take a hike!! Should I give her her money back and tell her to first mail me back the DVD along with a letter stating that she has not made any copies? offer to redo it? anythoughts? IS THERE JUST SOME PEOPLE YOU CANNOT PLEASE? i assure you its a really nice slide show!!

and i hate to be a woman about it (especially a hormonal one about to give birth in a week), but honestly she really hurt my feelings with her beyond rude email!
thoughts???

I think I would offer to make her another DVD using her specific choices of music and file names - just to show that I was willing to go the extra mile to help her - but I wouldn't give her a refund.

If she refused, I would send a polite reply saying "sorry, but I am unable to issue a refund on reproducable media like a DVD slideshow".

Depends on the contract. I would calmly call her and explain to her that you did what she wanted. She left the creative process up to you and this is the result. Appologize to her and explain to her how long and difficult of a process it is to create them.

jamiewexler wrote in post #4127791
I think I would offer to make her another DVD using her specific choices of music and file names - just to show that I was willing to go the extra mile to help her - but I wouldn't give her a refund.

I agree w/Jamie.

Congrats on the baby, BTW!

thanks!!! wow you guys are fast!!! i really appreciate the thoughts....

jamiewexler wrote in post #4127791
I think I would offer to make her another DVD using her specific choices of music and file names - just to show that I was willing to go the extra mile to help her - but I wouldn't give her a refund.

If she refused, I would send a polite reply saying "sorry, but I am unable to issue a refund on reproducable media like a DVD slideshow".

Love Jamie's wording here!

I agree, offer to 'go the extra mile' and redo it for her...to her exact specifications...but don't ever give any money back. And only redo it once, otherwise she may yank you around, time and time again.

How about having her write it all out...in detail? Have her specify every image, the order and the transition. The songs etc...and have her sign off on that.

Great advice on this thread.

But I would suggest that you get the DVD back, pronto.

We ran into this, where the pictures were used anyway, specifically, printed.

Oh, and good luck with delivery, enjoy your children.

If your slideshows are well received by everyone except this one client perhaps the problem is with her .. I would not refund the money and would hesitate to re-do another show for her.

im officially in love with this forum (like i wasnt before!) thanks everyone..

If you want to build a slide show with transitions and music BUT don't want people to steal the images then use this programme "picturetoexe " found at http://www.wnsoft.com/​apr/ it works very well and the deluxe version $56.00 can be burnt to DVD and it cannot be opened to access the pictures.

Martin

erphotography wrote in post #4127787
and i hate to be a woman about it (especially a hormonal one about to give birth in a week), but honestly she really hurt my feelings with her beyond rude email!
thoughts???

well I am about to give birth too so maybe we are both too hormonal, but I am pretty sure I would say the same thing non preggo too.

You delivered what she ordered. You gave her options, she made decisions. You did your work. I would not refund the money specially since she has the DVD already and could have very well made copies.

Now redoing it might be an option, but make it clear that she needs to write out EXACTLY what she wants. If she doesnt want to do that then it cant be that important to her.

I agree with Jamie too. That's the best remedy.

I think offering to redo it is best. And for the redo make her do all the work. Have her write out exact what pictures, what transitions from pictures to pictures, what music, when does each some start/stop, every last detail exactly the way she wants it.
That way you can just sit down and put it all together for her, probably in an hour as you don't have to think about any choices.
And make it clear you are re-doing it ONE time for her. Then if she is unhappy you can say you created it to her exact specifications.
Under no circumstance would I give a refund of even a penny in a situation like this.