Imagine this: You contact me to photograph your managing director for a media release. We discuss the job, agree on a fee, exchange contracts. We work out the style, location, date, and time. Everything’s locked in.
Only, on the day, I show up an hour late. On the wrong day. You try to call me, but every time you do, I leave you on hold for an hour. When I finally show up, I photograph the wrong person. And then I lose the images. We have to reshoot. To top it off, I send you an invoice higher than what we agreed upon in writing.
You’d be rightly furious. You wouldn’t book me again. You’d probably tell your friends and colleagues to avoid me. And you’d be entirely justified.
This is not unlike what happened to me with a large company whose services I’ve both used and photographed for.
Back in the late 1990s, this company had a reputation for great customer service. They stood out from their competitors by simply being easy to deal with, no endless phone calls or passing the buck. And I can say from personal experience, they lived up to it.
But then they decided to compete on price. And that’s always a slippery slope. There’s a simple truth in any profession, whether it’s commercial photography or customer service: you can have quality, speed, or price — pick any two.
The problem is, when you choose to compete mainly on price, something has to give. Usually, it’s service.
Now, I get it, running a large company means more moving parts, and more room for things to fall through the cracks. But that doesn’t mean good customer service is impossible. It’s a choice. And it starts with leadership.
As a small business, I don’t have a call centre. I am the public facing side of the business. If something goes wrong, it’s on me. That’s a responsibility I take seriously. I’ve made mistakes, everyone does. But I work hard to fix them. Some people have said I go overboard in making things right. To me, that’s just doing what I’d want someone to do for me. Because customer service isn’t just about getting things right. It’s about what you do when things go wrong.
I’ve had amazing customer service from companies like Apple, Nikon, my ISP Launtel, and my local mechanic. It’s not about size, it’s about values. The commitment to treat people like people, not case numbers.
Photography is a creative process. It involves people, and sometimes, stuff happens. But how you handle a complaint is often what defines a customer’s lasting impression of your business. It’s one of the few moments where you have a chance to really stand out, for better or worse.
So if you ever have feedback, positive or negative, don’t hesitate to let me know. I genuinely want to hear it. It’s how I improve. And no, I don’t take it personally. In fact, I welcome it.
Because in the end, good customer service isn’t about never messing up. It’s about how you respond if you do.