Customer wanting artwork rant

[Robert Lambie]

The "oh i am on site, can you send me visual and i will have a look" type customer is very common.
We now tell them "yes thats no problem but we will need your Card / Paypal details to take a deposit."
you are normally told that they will just pop back in and see it, but we do often take the deposit too.

[Denise Goodfellow]

I just find it a struddle trying to out wit the customer sometimes, in order to get paid or not taken for a fool

[David Hammond]

Had exactly this yesterday, sent over their artwork for a 2x1m banner, and it wasn’t in proportion, put something together at the right size, client didn’t like it, asks me to make it fit, then doesn’t like the fact it’s stretched…

Customer "what can we do about it?"

Me "resupply it at the correct size" :banghead:

[Pane Talev]

I no longer do design for free. Even van mock ups.
I haven’t had electricians or plumbers do free stuff for me.
Some of them even have a call out charge.
One electrician told me "that’s your job". Correct mate, that is my job, but i need to get paid. I also have mortgage.
I need to get paid for the 2h design time on your van.
When you seat your client next to you and you tell him you charge £45 an hour to design, his design is usually approved in 20 minute. When you don’t charge them design – they will make you do "many cool designs" and they will still need to "ask their wife"

[Tahsin Niyazi]

Theres also the ones that because they bought a print for a sign, do i mind also doing it on a business card size for them for free. The moment i mention fees they threaten with bad reviews. :thumbup2:

[Mark Newman]

Well, where do i start! i get this on a daily basis:
"mate, can you do a ****** sticker" – yes, but the design isnt free. followed by stunned silence.

*any chance you can Photoshop my car with these graphics on" yes, but i do charge for that, "how can you charge for that, your not even putting the graphics on, i just wanted to see what it would look like" :banghead:

I send out a promo code for the website, always get one come back saying – "any chance of a bit more discount?" no you cheeky f*****!

one recently, "can you do me a bespoke design for graphics to cover the sides, front and rear of a focus st" me: yes of course, – "can you sponsor my car, you can put your own details on it" me: umm sorry im not really interested in that, what do you mean by sponsor though? " well provide the graphics for it" me: i cant work for free im afraid, and i dont think id get anywhere near the cost returned from it. "I heard your crap anyway, i’ll go to abc123 graphics, he’s closer anyways"

or the worst ones, are the ones that want a van done. i ask, do you have a logo? "no." me: ok i can design you one for £20 "hmm ok, well how much will the van be?" me: basic package starts at £250, and can go up proportionately with what you have done. – "Oh, i’ll let you know…"
so they expect me to design a logo, then a van layout for free. and then charge less than my basic rate…
best off waving goodbye to them, and letting the bedroom bandits work for free.

[Phill Fenton]

I usually explain to the customer that If I was to provide free artwork for every enquiry that came in it would mean the paid jobs that go ahead are subsidising the time spent producing speculative visuals for the jobs that don’t.

[Hugh Potter]

it’s a tough one to deal with sometimes.

I don’t mind sitting with the client when they come in – if I’m not doing something hands on / productive at the time, and throwing together a basic layout, that quick approach has earned me three vans, a shop and a handful of basic panel signs this week alone – I simply add in an extra 1/2hr labour to the job..

Occasionally I do tell the customer that as it’s more complicated than a 30minute layout and they’ll need to book an appointment to come in, and to send all info via email fo I can usually get a bit of a headstart in my head, it’s usually explained then that I charge x amount per hour for design after the first 30mins. It’s surprising how quick a customer likes something / makes up their mind when they know they’ve got to pay for it!

I will occasionally print proofs for the customer to take away but they’re always covered with copyright info and on the vvery few occasions that I’ve seen the design done by another shop, I’ve successfully invoiced them for the time I spent + a copyright release fee.

Works for me 99.9% of the time.

[David Mitchell]

i do not charge set up fee for embroidery or designing logos, there for the files are not their property.

9 times out of 10 if they want a banner, some business cards etc i source it out.

the twice ive been asked to email another supplier a file, i invoice the customer for an hour or so..