-
why clients come back – your list
-
My list is just two words. Excellence and Relationships.
We perform our work to the absolute highest standard possible without cutting corners. We work late, we work through weekends, we do whatever we have to do to make sure the client gets the project they need on the deadline they need it. And they sure as heck get it for the promised budget. Our awards speak for themselves as to the quality of our work.
I place a higher value on relationships with clients over money, always have. I firmly believe that if you get the right clients in the door, you build relationships with them and what you might lose on an individual project basis in terms of dollars, will be made up ten fold in the long term. If I don’t feel like I can work with a client long term and build a relationship with them, we generally don’t do much work with them.
What just happened today is a perfect illustration of building relationships. I’ve been working with a producer for over two years now and he’s never paid full rate. We do approx. 80 news stories per year for him and last year we launched a new documentary series cutting 5 half hour shows. In November of ’07 his main client wanted to start releasing our work on BluRay disc, so after researching the high cost of commercial replication, I took the plunge and purchased BluRay software, burners, duplicators, printers and players. We’ve now produced 8 BluRay disc titles for him and his client. Today we presented a 9 minute documentary short on BluRay disc via DLP HD Projector to the Board of Directors of the Carter Center here in Atlanta. This is a sample of a proposed feature length documentary for 2009 and it’s the first time anyone has presented an HD presentation to the Board. In fact we had 20 BluRay discs and 30 DVDs with full four color covers printed and ready to hand out to the board today. On the Board of Directors is the president of a major hollywood studio. Long story short, the presentation was a tremendous hit and we are going to be providing all post production, DVD design, BluRay disc design for three feature length documentaries next year and that is just the beginning. That’s one edit suite already fully booked for 12 months in 2009.
It has cost me a lot of money and time these past 2+ years working with this Producer but I believe in what he’s producing, the message he wants to get out there and today that hard work paid off huge dividends. It’s taken me 8 years to get to what happened today, but that’s all a result of the groundwork we laid during that time. Investing in HD when it came along, investing in multiple edit suites as the need arose, investing in the right people to tell the stories and ultimately investing in the well being of our client. I could have easily charged this client double for each project along the way, but ultimately, working together, we’ve built something neither one of us could have achieved alone.
I’m not saying all clients are worth the time and if they aren’t, then why are you working with them?
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
Read my Blog!
-
We have been so slow lately that I almost threw up when I read Walter’s post.
Still feel a little queasy.
Damn you, Walter.
Rich
-
good points but wow you have a lot of blogs
—
Rick Dolishny
Discrete Editors COW Leader
http://www.thecreativeprocess.ca -
[Rich Rubasch] “We have been so slow lately that I almost threw up when I read Walter’s post. “
Sorry. Everybody in Atlanta has been super busy the past 18 months or so and from what I’ve heard it’s not slowing down all that much.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
Read my Blog!
-
Lots of good points have been made on this post — helpful, so thanks.
Our clients’ needs and attitude have much to do with this equation as well. Some of our clients come back to Tilt because we make the process easy. Others come back because they like they like the price. Others because they can appreciate the quality of work. And others because the relationship is so strong (that’s always a part of it).
But for all of our clients, I think the ranking of those things is different. The trick, and something we’re still figuring out, is to understand which of these things is most important to each of them.
Recently we proposed a solution for a return client that we truly felt was the absolute best way to communicate their message. But we came to find out they didn’t WANT the best way to communicate their message, they wanted a cheaper and faster solution because they needed to show Management they were “doing something,” and show them quickly. While we were pushing quality of message/work, they wanted only price and short time line.
Jon Hornbacher
Tilt Media -
Good points, Jon.
Early in our careers, when we have put so much energy in towards understanding the technical side of things so we can create “art”, it can be very difficult to understand that “quality” does not always mean great lighting, crisp audio and the latest graphic styles. It can just as easily mean delivering something less complicated much faster than the competition does.There is always a balance of priorities for the client and understanding where clients need each product to fit within that triangle of speed, quality and cost is vital.
-
I like your thinking, Mark. About 20 years ago I was doing a “customer service” video for a major manufacturer of window treatments. This was aimed at interior designers who sell their product.
As I listened to the content, many of the nuggets you’ve shared came up. And from that, I created one of my own: If you have a client that’s unhappy, or a mistake has been made, it’s imperative to make it right. No matter what it costs – $50 or $5000 dollars – at least you KNOW that’s how much it costs. If you don’t fix it right and the client shares their dissatisfaction with others, you’ll never know how much it cost you.
There are exceptions, because sometimes clients just refuse to be satisfied. Most of us know these clients as grinders, and interestingly, I think if they spread poison about you, there’s not much damage done, because most folks recognize them for what they are. That’s especially true in smaller or mid-size markets.
Anyway, regarding why clients come back….I’d say the major reason for me is because once they hand off the project, they don’t have to deal with it anymore. They know they’ll get value for their dollar –
not cheap, not expensive, but a good value for each dollar they spend, whether $2000 or $20,000. My goal is to give the greatest possible value for every dollar that comes through the door. I’d like to say I do it by being smarter, more efficient, or having better technology.But the truth is most of that value is realized through more hard work on my part. And that formula usually works in any business.
Cheers,
Larry Melton
Triangle Productions Inc -
These are all great posts. I’ve enjoyed everyone’s perspective.
I really think the key to having clients return, is figuring out what’s important on THEIR list. The list needs to be malleable by each client because they are all different, with different expectations about each project.
With that said, I do know this.
The two biggest things that always play into it…no matter what…is time and money.
If you screw up one of those expectations during the project you’re likely to have that client not return.
-
I’m late to this discussion…but I enjoyed reading all the posts and lists. Ultimately, I think the reasons clients come back is because they get their problem solved (whatever it might be). And as others have pointed out, that “problem” can vary greatly from client to client.
I think Walter came closest to what my general answer would be: excellence and relationships. We get the jobs from the clients we connect with. It doesn’t seem to matter how fancy our demo reel is, or how “cool” and comfy our facility might be. The bottom line on most projects is, “do we click with the guy or girl making the decisions.” Do we “get” their problem and understand what it is they need to solve it. And finally, can we do it within their budget and time constraints.
I once asked a long-time, very devoted client to rate us. I was shocked at the response. I thought she’d write a glowing review of her experience. Instead, she wrote that early on in the project she was worried, and that she got frustrated at how long the project took to complete (much of which was their fault I might add). She went on to rate our customer service as only average!
Ultimately, she was VERY pleased with the result, but it opened my eyes and made me realize that my perception of our company is far different than that of even one of our best client’s!
I always believed we gave GREAT customer service..and we have many clients that tell us that unsolicited. But that doesn’t mean that EVERY client believes that. So it was a wake-up call to me to do even better…especially with this client, who is a dream to work with and consistently brings us interesting and unique projects.
Chris Blair
Magnetic Image, Inc.
Evansville, IN
http://www.videomi.com
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up