Receiving what could be perceived as an attitude from a client

The person on these forums who told me, "The less you charge, the more they expect," was ABSOLUTELY right.

I have had more difficulty with someone who picked the least-expensive service I offer than anyone else who paid significantly more in the past.

Prints? They aren't included in my headshot sessions. They're also not included in my hourly sessions.

A young lady contacted me and decided to book a $60 headshot session, which included up to 30 minutes of photography and 3 headshots of their choice on CD.

She came on the expected day, 24 years old, with her mother and father. Her mother was a full-blooded chinese woman with a bossy and demanding temperament, her father was silent as a snail after first introductions.

She told me then that the shoot was for a beauty pageant photo, and showed me a brochure/flyer. I believe it was Miss Chinese USA. After she showed me the photos, I adjusted my originally pre-prepared lighting arrangement in order to simulate the lighting used in those photos, which was butterfly with lots of fill on the underside.

I took the photos. Her mother was happy with 1 of them, the rest were...no, no, no. Nothing was good enough for her daughter. The daughter herself was less intolerant and found a few she thought were good.

Then the mother said, "we pay you half now and half when we get the finished product, ok?" "So we can be sure to get the final work..." No, that's not okay, and it's not how it works, so I asked her if my website looks like I rip people off. She said, "No..." Then I ask her, "And what guarantee do I have that you'll pay me in full after you get the finished product?" She had no response, and her daughter told her eventually, "Just pay him the full price." Her daughter used her student discount and got 10% off the $60 price, totaling $54 out of pocket for them.

They needed the photos by Tuesday (now two days ago). I provided them with proofs the same day as the shoot, which was the Thursday before, and the daughter selected the three they wanted by Saturday. I retouched them by hand for over an hour per photo, and sent the finished photos to her on the same day, and wished her good luck. She said they looked great.

Today she contacted me and asked me about if/when they would get hard copies of the photos. To me this means a CD, and I told her I'd be happy to send it to her if she gave me her address. No, that's not what she meant.

Here's what she said in reply, and I quote:
"I was actually referring to physical photos, like you should get at a professional photo studio. This is included in the package, right? I need them in 5x7."

What do I do with that? It not only sounds denigrating and almost hurtful, but even as if she fully expects me to do exactly what she wants because she wants it.

So I explained to her that no prints were included in the package offer she paid for, in any part of my website (and they aren't). The price is for shooting time and three photos on CD with basic retouching. (I did a lot more than basic retouching on her photos, but we won't get into that.) I then went on a small lecture about how no photo studio is identical, and you can get a less carefully prepared 8x10" photo plus photography time at a mall studio for $25 or less with a coupon, or go to some pro studios and pay $100 for the sitting fee and get no prints unless you buy them separately...and I don't do either of those things. I provide better quality than the mall studio and much lower prices than the other studios. And, I provided her with the means to make as many prints as she wants, at a fraction of the cost of paying a professional studio for prints.

I await her kind reply.

People like that are never happy.
Reminds me of a conversation I had with a potential client yesterday.
I went through my whole description of my package and what that includes for their wedding. I got all their information on what their needs were.
He asked me what kind of camera I used. I told him professional Canon cameras and lenses. He then asked me how many cameras I had. I said two. Then he asked me if he gets RAW images. I said "no". Then he starts asking me about what I do if I need to change my lenses on my camera. What does he need that info for??

People have become very cheap all around. They want everything for the lowest price and want more than what they pay for.
This is what really stinks about this business.

A friend once said of services when you go "above and beyond" --

First, it is appreciated. Then, it is expected. Finally, it is demanded.

All you have here is a petulant, spoiled person.

I have clients like that as well (different business) -- here is what I say, consistently, which has worked very well.

"When you say [], I think you're asking for free services"

If they persist.......

"I have noticed that no matter what I provide to you, you expect more."

Sounds harsh, but these are the only phrases I've ever found that clearly let me know where I stand with someone commercially.

Those might be useful responses for me to remember in the future; thank you.

Feeling quite sorry for the young lady. You are in a bind. I don't know if this helps, but some people will always think a fee is negotiable. If it is not, you've got to stick to it. Getting something for nothing or barter is normal for some, but in this case, you went above and beyond. I think you did a great job so far, just keep it up. Tell her that if she were to print at Costco, that may be the best way for cheap prints, but if she wants professional work, it's going to cost more.

The fact is, I can barely justify setting up and spending the time shooting for that price in the first place, plus retouching time. I have since changed my headshot offering to ONE photo instead of three, with advanced retouching, and lowered the price $10. It's a specialty offering and I meant to attract realtors and lawyers.

"The happiest customer pay the most" - cosworth

Like your new avatar, though, form, and you too, Jason.

A simple "prints are not included in your package, please see the packages on my website. 5x7 prints cost $" would have sufficed.

Possibly. You should've seen what I WANTED to email her. I cut it in half and took out all the juicy parts.

Wow Joey- sorry to hear about all the aggravation. No good deed shall go unpunished. You go the extra yard and they expect a mile.

A couple of things though Joey, I don't think that being full-blooded Chinese had anything to do with it. This type of attitude crosses all cultures and can be found in walks of life. There was an interesting statement you made though regarding "hard copies." Perhaps things have changed recently, but in all my years of photography hard copies DID mean actual prints. Digital files were something that were either burned to disk or emailed.

To those of us in the trade it's fairly straightforward that lab prints are NOT included with your $50 package. You do state: "Please click here for print prices" but you may want to consider something more direct like "Print enlargements available at additional cost."

I know your current explanation seems implicit, but unfortunately some people have to have it spelled out to them. - Stu

Oh no I don't think her race was the deciding factor either: I think the daughter was a bit spoiled and her mother was one of the moms who thinks nothing is good enough for her daughter, because she herself has a massive blind spot where her daughter's flaws are involved. The father obviously lost his spine when his wife ripped it clean out of him years ago.

sapearl wrote in post #5850584
No good deed shall go unpunished.

true true. I say this to myself all the time.

hortonsl62 wrote in post #5848518
A friend once said of services when you go "above and beyond" --

First, it is appreciated. Then, it is expected. Finally, it is demanded.

All you have here is a petulant, spoiled person.

gads.. that quote sounds like one or two X husbands!

... no, really, .. after being self employed for over 20 yrs, one thing we've learned is that "Free has no value".

In one of my businesses, we deal with different culture practices. Though we've made some friends, we DO understand that many business cultures ARE different compared to ours. You need to stick to your guns (your written policies) and do NOT feel badly about it.

I know it can feel insulting.. but they're not emotionally involved in the transaction .. that's just typically the way they do business. Try not to get upset... stick to your policies and learn to say "no" with a professional friendly attitude.

form wrote in post #5850637
I think the daughter was a bit spoiled and her mother was one of the moms who thinks nothing is good enough for her daughter, because she herself has a massive blind spot where her daughter's flaws are involved. The father obviously lost his spine when his wife ripped it clean out of him years ago.

Glad to hear this woman didn't upset you too much then