Client hates their photos? Here’s what to do.
There are dozens of reasons why a client might be unhappy with their images.
Sometimes that reason is sensible, and sometimes it isn’t, which can often lead to an awkward or difficult situation.
However, what I’ve learned is that giving the client the benefit of the doubt while also coming up with a solution for them is the number one way to provide and maintain an excellent client experience.
If there’s anything I’ve learned from these situations, it’s that you have to take a deep breath, walk away before responding, don’t take it personally, and get on the phone with them!
In this blog post, I’ll walk you through exactly what that looks like.
Okay photographer, let's paint the picture.
You just spent so many hours editing and re-editing a client gallery that you're super proud of, you send it off to your client, and you don't hear anything for a while. 24 hours pass and you start to freak out.
Then, you get an email in your inbox at 11 o'clock at night with your client saying they are unhappy with the images. They might share why— they don't like the edit, aren't happy with how they look, etc.— or they might just say that they are not happy with the files, keeping it vague. Either way, here’s what you do:
Take a deep breath. Take another one. Repeat as many times as you need.
Do not respond right away.
This is because responses tend to trigger unnatural reactions. There are so many different feelings this might evoke, especially it’s one of the first times you’ve heard this from a client. Don’t respond right away because I don't want you to react on emotion.
Say it with me: We do not run our business on emotion.
Instead, I want you to wait until regular business hours or the next morning to respond. Don't reply back to that email or text message quite yet. In fact, I don’t think you should be texting your clients under most circumstances. I talk all about the importance of setting boundaries with your clients in the YouTube video below.
Learn More: Why People Aren’t Paying Your Rate
The bottom line is that you’re not going to reply right away, even if you think you’re emotionally stable. I challenge you to breathe and sleep on it or at least wait a few hours before saying anything.
The next thing you need to do?
Don’t take this personally.
As much as this can be a hit to your heart and soul, you can’t take it personally. And I get it— this is our art, it’s what we consider our child! We put so much time and care into our client communication, posing, editing, etc., and the fact that our clients are unhappy can really get us down. But, it's really important that we do not take it personally because most of the time, they’re unhappy with how they look in the photos and not so much you! You have to remember that they hired you, they like you, and it's not that they don't like your work. Usually, something else is going on.
Here’s how to handle the situation:
1. You’re going to get on the phone with them.
I know what you’re thinking: “This isn’t 1921 Jessica—I'm not picking up the telephone.” Listen— the main reason why phone calls with clients are so important is the fact that it makes the conversation so much quicker and avoids all that needless back and forth through email.
In addition, a phone call shows that you really care. It shows that you want to take the time to talk and that you believe what they're feeling has validity to it, and ultimately, that you want to help work towards a solution.
Another big reason why getting on the phone is so important is so you do not misinterpret their tone, and they do not miscommunicate your tone, either. When you read their initial email, you may have read it in a way that they never intended for it to be read. When you get on the phone, you're eliminating so much of that emotion on both ends. You're less likely to get defensive, and so are they.
So to recap— we get on the phone for three main reasons:
It makes the conversation 10x quicker.
It shows that you care, see their feelings as valid, and want to work toward a solution.
You won’t misinterpret their tone and vice versa.
2. When you have them on the phone, make it clear that you are on their side.
Right off the bat, make it known that you want to come to a solution together. As photographers and in all areas of our business, we need to take this humble approach. Yes, this is art, and yes, this is our work, but we are commissioned to photograph our clients in a way that they're going to be happy with.
So, even though we might be really proud of these images, we have to take a step back and serve our clients to the best of our ability. A lot of times, this looks like taking constructive criticism. While you might not agree with all of it (and you don't even have to if you don't want to you), it will make the process easier.
It's really important to listen to them and understand that, yes— this is our art, but at the end of the day, they've hired us to capture their image.
3. If they are upset with the way they look, offer to go back through your photos and pull others that compensate for the ones that they’re unhappy with.
One of the most common reasons why people are unhappy with their photographs that I've personally seen in my Build and Bloom photography Facebook group is that the client doesn't like how they looked.
And most of the time, I can see why. It’s usually because of the angle in which the photographer has captured them. What I find is that the photographer will capture it either at a lower angle or the head is pushed back into the neck, creating a fullness under the chin that isn't actually there in real life.
It's our job as a photographer to correct those posing mistakes at the beginning in our shoot.
Here are some FREE YouTube tutorials to get you started:
Six Most Common Posting Mistakes in Pictures & How To Fix Them
15 Posing Mistakes to Avoid & How to Improve Your Photography
8 Ways to Pose and Improve Your Portrait Photography Instantly
If our client says they're unhappy with how they look and you can go through your images and see it from their perspective, run back through all the photos from your shoot, and over-deliver to your client by pulling out others that can compensate for the ones they don’t like.
We have to think critically when it comes to evaluating our images and listening to a customer's complaint because, at the end of the day, we want our clients to be happy with the whole experience, not just the end result. Ultimately, this is how we create an excellent client journey.
I know there are several different scenarios where your client could be unhappy with the images and unfortunately, I cannot give advice on all of them because every situation is so specific.
Instead, I would highly recommend using the Build and Bloom photography Facebook group. it's my kind, encouraging, inclusive, and FREE photography community. Create a post for your specific client situation and prepare to receive handfuls of help and insight (as long as you are talking about your client in a respectful way and keeping them anonymous).
I believe in you and believe your business, I hope that this blog post helped give you some pointers for dealing with clients who may be unhappy with their photos.
Resources:
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If you're looking to join a kind, encouraging, and inclusive photography community, check out the Build + Bloom Facebook group.
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