I’m all about customer service. I have kind of taken on the Zappos philosophy when it comes to that area. I constantly go above an beyond to help my customers out. Rather than just give them design advice, I also help them with their business and marketing for free. I’m around to answer any of their questions five days a week and sometimes on the weekends. I make small changes to the site for free and a lot of other things that I could easily charge for.
Normally this isn’t a problem. But, it got me thinking, where does this sort of customer service stop?
Obviously major design and development things are going to cost the client extra. I guess more of what I am questioning is the back and forth changes? The little things that add up fast and make me feel like I’m being taken advantage of.
If, like me, you do all these sort of little things for free, when do you say that you will have to start charging for them? Better yet, how do you explain to your client that you’ll have to start charging them for it after doing it for free for so long?
Obviously you can setup guidelines in the contract, but I don’t like being restricted like that. I guess it’s just a slippery slope either way you look at it if you want to do business this way. That said, I have found that by doing business this way I have been getting a lot more repeat work from clients. Even before I finish one project for them They ask me to start on another one for them.
So, I guess there is something to be said about this business model.
7 Comments
Great post.
This is a really tough spot to be in and it happens all the time. What I have found works best is going above and beyond for clients by making those little changes but also making sure to keep tabs on everything you've completed for 'free.'
In the strictest sense, little tweaks are usually out of scope so when a client finally goes too far by either asking for a large change free of cost or by asking for one too many small changes, you can go back to your list and put things in context for them.
For me its usually a conversation where I make them aware of all of the little things they got for free and help them to understand the 'real cost' of continuing to make minor changes. The conversation comes at different times for each client (and sometimes not at all) but armed with your list, at least you don't sound like an ass for suddenly deciding to charge them.
Provided that the client is not actively trying to take advantage of you, I have found this approach to work very well.
I know the feeling. Once that pattern of "give and give again" is established, it is damn near impossible to change the relationship. I've had to be very upfront with new clients regarding minor changes and tweaks. I reiterate that my hourly rate is $$ and that I will charge for all tweaks and updates. At the end of the month the client will receive my invoice with a chronological listing of tweaks/updates and how long they took.
This style of forwardness and consistency has helped ease the tension. Not all clients are going to bite off on this style of billing. For those that don't, it might be better in the long run that they find another design agency.
Just my two cents on the enigma of invoicing and designer/client relationships.
I also do the mini-nuggets of advice and minor site upgrades for free. I just sent one of my current clients a link on how to use LinkedIn to promote your brick and mortar business. And he's calling me for help, which I'm giving for free.
And as you said, he's got two friends that also need websites. So I think the 'pay it forward' business model works pretty well.
Outlaw, you could put a clause in your contract that says "accepting changes after final payment is at the designer's discretion." No fees or restrictions mentioned.
Superior customer service at it's best:
http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean...
Hi Danny - explaining to clients that they suddenly have to start paying for things that you normally do for free is no fun at all - but I don't necessarily believe that your customers stick with you (and give you new projects) because you throw them freebies. Even if that *is* the case, if you feel like you're being taken advantage of, it's just not worth it. When I have found myself in this situations, I often end up resenting the client, even if they're sending me more work. You deserve to be paid for your time, and while explaining that to existing clients is going to be tricky and probably a little uncomfortable no matter how you do it, moving forward, I strongly suggest you avoid doing things for free as much as possible. Your customers come back to you because you are good at your job, you deliver a quality product and they feel confident that you will get the job done well and at a fair price, not because you do things for them for free. And honestly, if that IS why, those types of clients have always proven to be more trouble than they're worth.
Think about your mechanic - you trust him or her because they treat you with respect, they answer questions, and you feel like you can trust them. If they occasionally throw in an extra for free (a car wash with your oil change, etc) that's great - but if they stopped doing that, would you stop taking your car there? Probably not. You've already built up trust and a relationship with them, and that is going to be worth more in the long run to you than the occasional wheel alignment when you've just dropped $500 on new tires.
I guess it would be what is outlined in the project contract, and if something falls outside those borders, you need to explain to your client that this is not what was agreed to, but if they want you can state your fee for such services.
In order to provide great design, the designer needs to offer way more than design. Perhaps consider packages with different options. One with a full range of marketing (and even copywriting) services, including design; another with just the basics. Some people think we sit down with a pen and doodle up a logo in a few hours. It's a complex process that takes lots of research, question-asking and brainstorming.
Giulietta, the fearless branding enthusiast!
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