Know-How Exchange : Customer Behavior

Remember - the customer isn't always right but they are the customer.

Faced with this type of situation, I recommend you simply say to the customer - "Our expert opinion and expertise recommend you do it this way. However, you are the customer and rather than tell you no, I would like to understand why."

This opens conversation and often allows the customer to get to the real reason for their input.

Ultimately the client needs to be happy with what you produce. Perhaps you need to create more checkpoints/reviews along the way so that the designers do not get too far done the road and feel like they are having to redo everything. It sounds like with some of these clients more needs to be done at the conceptual change.

Having done a little design I know it is easy to get attached to what you created, but ulitmately the client needs to like it. I do think it is fair to let the client know how much changes will cost to do. If they want to do them, it seems there shouldn't be a problem.

In the long run if the client feels that they had to settle for a design they did not like they will not return and will not be using your companies name favorably with others. Getting repeat work and good referrals will only come about from great customer service. Part of that definitely involves listening to the client.

Hope this helps,
Mike

From a client perspective I know how frustrating it is to get something back from an agency when it doesn't quite work well or the company. In my experience an agency can sometimes be a little too creative and their work is inconsistent - it can result in confusion for the client and the target audience. On the other hand we have had creatives provide work that isabit too boring.

The best concept development work I have seen is where we have provided a brief to he agency and they respond with 3-4 hand drawings of various concepts, headlines, packaging options, messages, etc. This has allowed us to explore a few options together and then make some decisions before too much creative is developed. Agencies can become very defensive about their work and clients (well some clients) are not always comfortable providing their feedback and direction.

By the sametken, some clients can be apain in the butt and want change everything so it is up to the client to provide a good brief (the agency should tell them if it's not up to standard) and the agency should be open to change.

If you know your client is pedantic and always makes chages then perhaps you should just accept it (make sure your recommended approach is documented and decline noted for future reference). After al they are paying the bills. If the client contact changes then tactfully provide the new contact with the history.

At pesent I have a campaign where I am looking for something a little different but I a not sure if I have comunicated this correctly or the agency has interpreted it differently. Anyway - back o te drawing board for me.

Well, I've been on both sides of the business so I can truly commiserate with you, Mike.
There are no absolute truths in client-agency relationships. Both could be wrong at different times. But what definitely works in my experience are the following:

1. Can you think for the client all the time and win respect, not necessarily on a specific project but on business issues too. This respect will provide credibility to your (sound) arguments when you're defending creative work. Believe me, too often clients think that the servicing person is out there to sell whatever his/her agency is churning. Ask questions why the changes are required the way they are required. Ask them if you have liberty to improvise. Never be afraid to ask clients intelligent questions.

2. Read between the lines. This is very important. Too often clients say "make the headline bold". What client really means is 'make it prominent'.
It could be through change of font, colour, styling etc.

3. Help your creatives with best possible briefs and insights. Guide them, 'save them' when they are on wrong path. Debate. When you debrief about changes present your insightful feedback. Instead of stating that the client wants the headline in bold you could say that "how could we make the headline visually more impactful as the pithy headline is not getting the prominence it deserves ".
Tact and diplomacy, are very useful, as you'll learn gradually.

It's good to remember that the creative person is in the profession because he/she needs some freedom of expression. Present (at least seeming) freedom so that the iteration act is seen by the creative as his/her own rather than being forced by the client.

4. If you're convinced, defend passionately the creative pieces when you're with client. On very sensitive issues, keep all your seniors in the loop so that you could tell your client with confidence that 'this is the agency view, however, we could give you what you like if you really insist'. Follow it up with a formal mail. This can make the client think twice if he/she is really taking the right call. Overruling the opinion of a paid agency is risky for a Marketing person if the decision backfires. Remember, while you may think that client ends with the Head of Marketing, there are complex dynamics at play at the client's end with Finance and CEO interacting closely with Marketing.

Dear Mike

In over 20 years, I’ve hardly ever had something back from the designers which I had originally envisaged or wasn’t somewhat surprised by. If I had, I guess that I should have been the designer and supplier of creative ideas, not them and just pay myself for the work!

But in all that time, I’ve hardly ever been disappointed with the results because we build a very comprehensive review system into our commissions so that a creative will not go too far or for too long down a pathway we don’t like.

Multiple reviews, including styles, theme, message and technical function can all be accommodated by short meetings where everyone is expected to put their cards on the table. It is understood that deviations from the brief (Extra work) will incur cost and time penalties. Final aesthetics alone are not a reason for rejection but with review, they’d never get to being in the final product.

Incidentally, I’ve always insisted that the agency owns the ideas up to and including when the bill is paid – then the entire lot and the alternative sketches become ours.

My brother-in-law is an senior architect (He built Stanstead Airport’s new terminal) so he has to work with big ego’s, huge budgets and tight deadlines. He runs a similar review system where there is a further caveat. “Well do what you ask for because you are the client, but we disagree with it from a functional point of view” Consulting engineers go one further, “We won’t make that change to the design because we feel that it won’t be safe”

The last two examples are where force majeure comes into play, but I’ve never got myself to that point due to the review process.

Steve Alker
Xspirt.com