Can you recall a time when you were unsatisfied with a service you had paid for? All of us have been in that spot at least once in our lives. Similarly, sometimes, you may find yourself in a situation where you have to handle unsatisfied wedding photography clients. They might be upset with how you handled a crisis at their wedding or unsatisfied with some photographs. Whatever the reason, you can’t get the wedding day back, and now, you have to come up with a solution that makes your clients happy and doesn’t lead to any setbacks for you. So what do you do? In this blog, we tell you all about how you can find a middle ground and convert unhappy or unsatisfied clients into ones that sing your praises.
Ways to Work With Unsatisfied Wedding Photography Clients
1. Pay Attention to Feedback
Just being there to listen to your couple’s grievances can sometimes make a significant difference. If you genuinely listen to your unsatisfied couple, they may feel like you care about what they have to say, and thus, they might even be more willing to find a solution with you. When they do give you their feedback, make sure you give them your time and attention. Try and put yourself in their shoes and consider where they are coming from. This is less about you and more about how you conduct business, so whether they hate the photographs you have delivered or think that you didn’t take enough photos of their family, don’t get defensive and try not to take it personally. Stay calm, and once they have shared their thoughts, both parties can start working towards a solution together.
2. Communicate
After you receive feedback from your unhappy wedding photography client, it’s time to work on how you can make a better impression. Whether you choose to communicate via phone calls, emails, or face to face meetings, the key is to be responsive and keep communication lines open. While face to face meetings are the best way to discuss, as you go through the process of finding a solution for the situation, video calls might work just as well. It’s always a good idea to follow up to any call or meeting with an email summary to make sure everyone is on the same page and also so you have solutions in writing.
3. Find a Solution They Can’t Reject
If you have photographed their wedding already, chances are that you are close to the couple. Therefore, act like you would act with a friend and keep them updated on your plans for their problem. Be clear and steer away from making unrealistic promises to your couple but try to find a solution that makes everyone happy. As we talked about earlier, sometimes even genuine concern or an apology could be enough to change your unhappy client’s mind. If that doesn’t work, you could offer a discount on your services or products or a free romantic photo shoot to make up for any error on your part. If these offers don’t appeal to them, you could ask for their suggestions on how they’d like the situation to be resolved. If their request seems practical, then you could offer them what they are asking for. This way, both parties still part on a good note. If your photography client wants a refund, you could consider a partial return of funds.
4. Use Your Contract
Being empathetic while listening to an unhappy wedding photography client’s grievances will likely benefit you. But empathy does not mean you should ignore yourself and your business to make them happy. Sometimes, an unsatisfied client may reject all of your solutions, but if you are out of options for potential solutions, then it may be time to turn to your contract. Depending on the clauses you have included, your contract may be eligible to legally protect you from unrealistic clients and any lawsuit threats. Therefore, if your client refuses to meet you halfway or threatens you with legal action, you may not have any other option.
Related Read: The Ultimate Guide To Wedding Photography Contracts
5. Handle Unsatisfied Wedding Photography Clients With Care
You may or may not agree with an unhappy client’s review, and it’s possible that you may not have had any control over the issue at hand. But as a professional wedding photographer – unless it’s a completely unrealistic request or expectation – your priority should be to find a solution to your couple’s problem. Instead of arguing or getting defensive, own your mistakes, communicate with your clients, and find a solution together. Consider the negative feedback as a way to improve the way you do business. An unhappy client may actually point out a weak point that you weren’t even aware of.
Learn From Your Experience
Once your unhappy client has been converted to a happy and satisfied client, it’s time to go over your strategies on how to handle (or prevent) this situation in the future. Try not to let the negative feedback get to you personally, and instead, think of it as a lesson that will enable you to serve your future clients better. Remember, nobody is perfect and as a wedding photographer, making mistakes and learning how to handle negative feedback is a part of how you constantly improve and excel in your field.
At ShootDotEdit, we love to help you navigate situations that might threaten your wedding photography business. We also try to help lessen your burden by handling the photo editing work for you. To learn more about how we can help your business, take a look at our price plans.