CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND RETENTION IN THE BUSINESS OF PHOTOGRAPHY.

A Bola Oguntade Photography Workshop at Twinkle Court , Maryland 22-26 August 2016

Presented by

Chibuzor Okonkwo

Photography is an art, and for every art there are enthusiast and an enthusiast can become a potential customer; for every customer there is a potential sale or contract to be won and for every sale, there is the prospect for the customer to be retained, thus becoming a loyal customer.Understanding the impact that customer relations has on the business of photography cannot be over emphasized.

Overview

It’s important to be a master in your craft, it’s also very important to have a customer service philosophy if you want to keep your clients happy and make them your loyal customers. You thus become an addictive commodity, and it’s either you or no one else.

To get to that point where you literally become an essential commodity in the field, you must pay the price. Organisations that are in business for the long haul, know how important customer relations is to the soul of their business.

A lot of talented professionals and entrepreneurs have lost potential lifelong customers due to poor customer relations, poor interpersonal skills and poor service philosophy.It is therefore imperative to have a well rounded understanding of the importance of customer relations and retention in the business of photography.

You walk into a tastefully furnished Eatery with a pleasing ambience, you place an order of rice with Salad and a bottle of wine, but you notice that the food is cold, you then ask for the waitress, who comes to your table with a frowning face, after you lay your complaints, she ‘lackadaisically tells you the microwave is bad’, there is nothing I can do; you then reply ‘so what am I suppose do? She then replies you rudely ‘I don’t know’.

Question: Would you go back there to eat? Let’s discuss

Scenario 1

Customer service, by definition, is about serving people. When people refer to customer service, they’re usually talking about the process of getting help before, during or after a purchase.The customer is suppose to be happy at the end of the day.Hence, if at the end of providing a service, you don’t leave your customer happy like this lady, then something is might be wrong.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

“Customer service is also a voluntary act that demonstrates a genuine desire to satisfy, if not delight, a customer.” - Steve Curtin, author of “Delight Your Customers”

Customer service is part of a holistic customer experience that is capable of providing a critical competitive advantage in today's increasingly cluttered and commoditized marketplace.” - Joseph Jaffe, Founder at Evol8tion

“Customer service represents the heart of a brand in the hearts of its customers” - Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach

Service philosophy is defined as the “values and priorities of what is important to your business when interacting with customers”.It is the guiding principles on how to treat your customers.Question: What is important to you as a photographer?Is it about creating lasting images for your clients?Or capturing memorable occasions? You alone can answer that question.

MINDSET

UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER TYPES.

PASSIVE CUSTOMER ASSERTIVE CUSTOMER AGRESSIVE CUSTOMER

PASSIVE CUSTOMER

• Silent• Undecided • Goes with the flow• Doesn’t complain, • Provides little or no information• Lacks immediate feedback.

ASSERTIVE CUSTOMER

• Free thinker• knows what they want• very knowledgeable • demands respect • Takes charge

AGRESSIVE CUSTOMER

• Loud• Rude• Inconsiderate• Annoying• Unyielding

It is important to understand your customer perspective or to a large extend try to understand them. This is very important as it puts you on a higher ground to deal effectively and appropriately with your clients.

CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE

• Wants to be treated with respect• Wants you to guide them on the best decision• Wants you to be honest and open to him or her• Wants you to be a master in your craft• Wants you to deliver on the task• Wants you to understand them and what they want

What do your customers want from you?

SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT (Realistic timeline, Deliverables, Closures)A common feature of an SLA is a contracted delivery time (of the service or performance). As an example, Internet service providers and Telecommunication will commonly include service level agreements within the terms of their contracts with customers to define the level(s) of service being sold in plain language terms.

SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT

BUSINESS ETIQUETTES

KEEP TO TIME. The business of Photography is a time bound business, hence it becomes imperative to develop time consciousness in performance and delivery. Nobody wants to get to the wedding and find that the contracted Photographer is not available. Whatever might keep you late has to be addressed before hand. Equipment must be at the venue and well tested. There’s need to have back up equipment in case of equipment failures

This should go without saying, but even in a very casual professional atmosphere, this basic form of courtesy is still imperativeWhilst taking your shots, you don’t want to sound like a dictator or a commander. You must at all times speak with courtesy in the discharge of your job.

ALWAYS SAY “PLEASE” AND “THANK YOU.”

At the end of the day, your customers are Kings

and Queens. How do you speak to royalty? We

respect and adore them. Whether they are

paying six digit sums or a few thousands,

always treat them well. You never know where

your next referral would come from. Remember, be assertive, not aggressive.

By all means don’t be rude to your clients, whether they are wrong or right.

Written and verbal communication can be difficult to express sometimes. It is important that we gauge what we say so as not to offend people. Of course, offensive, rude or nasty language is unacceptable, but so is slang. While it may be routine in our society, it’s never good enough in a professional atmosphere.

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE.

It would be a major scandal if you deliver to your client another person’s pictures. It would be even more embarrassing and highly unprofessional if this were to happen. Hence the need to double check your materials before delivery.That is why having a checklist is extremely important

Double-check before you deliver works to your clients.

EMPATHYThe concept of empathy is a key element in Customer relations. It involves putting yourself in your customer’s shoes. Feeling what the customer feels as you interact and work with them. Customers feel more appreciated when you are able to empathize with them and it helps to build a connection.The real goal of customer service is to provide a positive experience that people associate with your company.

There are certain times that based on your workload that you might have to decline some offers. Declining is not the problem, but how you decline is very important. You don’t want to sound cocky, snobbish and proud, since there can always be a tomorrow. So it is important to show empathy and concerned, listen to what the client has to say then respectfully refuse the job and try to give or recommend an alternative photographer’s number. This is a much more professional means of refusing a job. It is important not to hurt your customers ego by any means.

HOW TO PROFESSIONALLY DECLINE A DEAL

CUSTOMER RETENTION

This refers to the activities and actions companies and organisations take to reduce the number of customer defections. The goal of customer retention program is to help companies retain as many customers as possible, often through customer loyalty and brand initiatives.

Both tangible and intangible gestures would come in handy at this point in making sure that your customers stick with your brand

In today’s competitive business world, there is no gain saying that advertisement is a key component of marketing products and services. But the surest means of getting clients is by personal referrals (Word of Mouth).If you are going to grow in the field of photography, there is the need to have customers who without any inducement of any form are willing and able to recommend you to their friends and relations and colleagues- that you can deliver on the job.

THE POWER OF WORD OF MOUTH.

NB: Word of Mouth is good, but you must know your Onions.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE (CEX)

This is the sum of all the experiences a customer has, over the duration of their relationship with a business or brand. It can also mean an individual experience over a transaction.CEX refers to everything related to how our customers interact with us. From the first meeting to the quality of your work, to the various interactions they have with you in the process of getting the job done.

It is the customer’s experience, hence you have no control over his final rating of your Company as he/ she would have a fair idea of how to rate the entire service rendered. It’s not just about the job you have been paid to do for them. It’s a culmination of everything. The way you talk, smile, address issues, hand their jobs etc

MOMENT OF TRUTH IN CUSTOMER RELATIONS.

“Anytime a customer comes into contact with any aspect of your business, however remote, is an opportunity to form an impression.”

ELEMENTS OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

The elements include:•Awareness: When the client needs the service of a photographer•Discovery: Client discovers you through Selling your brand, referrals etc.•Interaction: You interact and have a clear understanding of what the customer wants•Attraction: You have gotten the potential client excited•Purchase: You have been given the job•Use: the end product is delivered to your client and inspected•Cultivation: You client likes your work•Advocacy: Word of mouth (Free advert to friends and family)

CLOSE LOOP FEEDBACK

This is a mechanism used to measure the impact of your service to your clients, through a feedback system.

Class exercise:Take a piece of paper and write out four reasons why anybody should patronise you?What is your Unique Selling Point?

PERSONAL BRANDING