We’re in the wedding and event industry, and our business is about providing great service. I love my work, and, most of the time, I consider my job play. But, once in a while, when something hasn’t gone well, I still have sleepless nights. Usually, I can’t sleep for one of three reasons:
1. A client is unhappy with how his or her event turned out.
2. A new client is incredibly demanding and, yet, doesn’t want to pay.
3. I thought my designs were very strong, but the client doesn’t like them.
I beat myself up thinking about where I went wrong and trying to determine how to fix it. At this point, I’ve been in the industry long enough that I recognize this is just part of being in the service industry. The trick is learning how to deal with it, because losing sleep is not the answer!
When you have an unhappy client, you need to let him or her vent. Then you need to offer a solution.
A demanding client who resists paying is a little harder. I don’t mind demanding clients. That’s all part of the job. But it can be very frustrating and even disrespectful when clients don’t pay their bills on time. It’s really hard not to take this personally, but the only thing I can do is educate them. I try to make them understand why I charge what I charge and why it’s important for me and my entire team that we get paid on time. I try to rely on logic and reason in this situation.
Clients who reject my designs don’t bother me as much as you might think they would. In fact, I kind of like the challenge. I mostly lie awake at night thinking about new designs that will blow them away.
Readers, do you sometimes have trouble sleeping, too? What causes these nights? Please share.
On a separate note, I am going to be writing my very own column in Event Solutions Magazine
so be sure to check it out!
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George Bernard Shaw once said: “You see things and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” That quote embodies how Preston Bailey approaches every event.
Iván Meade-Treviño
June 8, 2011
I guess the client #2 is the worst one – I called them Bully Clients.
You have done everything in your hands to make everything happen: good ideas, excellent execution,and the best costumer service you can provide. You think that the client is really happy, because all the feedback you get via email, phone calls and face to face is wonderful, but when you sent your invoice suddenly your work is crap, and we offer the worst costumer service and then you just receive a payment on the mail for $ 100.00 because that is what you are worth after 25 hours of work.
Usually these type of clients are independently wealthy, but very arrogant. They don’t even know how to move a finger without you, but they abuse your knowledge and don’t valuate what you are offering.
Here is a wonderful website to vent in the design field.
http://clientsfromhell.net/
kalanicut
June 8, 2011
Wow, Preston, I’m impressed. You described mountains of stress for most people in the service industries and gave the most amazing, calming, simple solutions for diffusing these situations. Makes it sound so easy and it probably usually is if one can cut the internal stress. What a lovely post.
AKP
June 8, 2011
The clients who cost me the most sleep are those whose budget does not match their expectations, and we end up going down the road of preparing mockup pieces that just never make them happy.
Jamell
June 8, 2011
Sometimes it is good to know that there are some clients that will just not be happy with anything.
Tricia
June 8, 2011
It is hard not to let it affect you, I agree more times than not the brides tastes do not match the budget… I actually just experienced this problem. The bride was highly demanding but didn’t have a realistic idea of what the costs would be. She sent her fiance and his mother, never attended and would only corespond through enails…BIG MISTAKE and I should have know better. She was unhappy with her bouquet..pulled it all apart and then wondered why it all fell apart and then began a campain to bash my work! Sadly I was at a loss and quite heart broken the kicker is I gave my labour for free because the fiance was a close cousin of mine. This will never happen again, I will not devalue my work or my reputation….loss of sleep you bet, lessons learns for sure! Guess you just can’t always please everyone and no matter what the budget is they always seem to want more than they can afford!
Joanna
June 8, 2011
Nicely put! I faced an unhappy client this morning and had to remind myself that the client’s high expectations and my poor communication contributed to her disappointment.
Jody urquhart
June 8, 2011
I stay awake at night thinking about my to do list! Tough clients are hard. I hate to have people rain on my parade but you can’t please everyone
Susan Kelly
June 8, 2011
Preston,
Sometimes you read my mind! I was tossing and turning last night over a client in the number 2 category. The wedding is a week and a half away and we are still haggling over costs. I always try to go above and beyond for my clients but when they start to do this I’m mostly mad at myself. Thanks for this subject today, it’s great to know I’m not alone!
Susan
Angela
June 9, 2011
Preston- I got my second unhappy client and I felt bad for the day but did not after a few hours. Her expectations were far above what she paid for. My mistake- I probably did not manage her expectations. I felt it was good though as i left the venue happy. I took your advise and sent her flowers and an apology letter. Something i said i will never do again. I believe you pay for what you get. My problem is the late payments, which affect my ability to be fully attached to that event ( I mean you need the funds to make it happen) and i get frustrated. New ideas- that is what keeps me up at night and keeps my brain thinking round the clock.