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Question from Michelle: “I did a shoot about 5 months ago. The client wanted to purchase the CD but when it came rime to she didn’t have the money to do so. I’ve sent her an email advising the date her gallery will be taken down (per her contract) she is very upset and has advised me that she is barely able to paybeing bills etcis and would like to work out a deal with me. I didhave tell heryou I xanhave hold thethe CD for another month. I’m concerned with discounting, once you do one you have to do another. Would you discount or hold firm?”
Kendra: Maybe offer her a payment plan. Create a form for her to fill out saying you will charge get cc $_____ on the 1st of each month for the next 2,4,6 or whatever months. Don’t discount, just make it easier for her to pay you.
Natalie: Hold firm!!!! The client has had ample time to get funds together to get the disc. I know some clients do this on purpose to get discounted, or even free stuff.
Monica: Wouldn’t discount and would probably set up some sort of payments with her… If she doesn’t hold to that is hold firm and move on
Stephanie: hold firm and maybe offer her a payment plan
Cheryl: i would give her an arrangement that work for you and if she defaults or doesnt hold up her part then make the hard decision….i say her gallery comes down but hold her cd and hopefully she wont let you down
Jeanne: I would hold firm, and take the gallery down, but hold on to the cd, if she’s being honest that gives her more time to get funds together, if she’s not, she might figure you aren’t a sucker and pay you
Alyssa: Don’t discount, but definitely offer a payment plan, if she can’t do that, then she’s just trying to get it for less
Heather: Dont neccesarily discount it but make the CD and have her make payments kind of like a lay-away. Do a deposit that you’re comfortable with and then tell her she has X amount of time to pay it off. Or something to that effect.
Elizabeth: Either hold firm or develop a payment plan and dont give her the disk until her full balance is paid off… and draw it up as a contract and have her sign it. You can be kind and be firm, just make sure she understands that you are running a business and have to keep the same rules for everyone, you cant be making special exceptions left and right
Gabby: I agree. You can offer a payment plan. Make sure to give the CD after the LAST payment is made to make sure you receive it all.
Mary: Did she not know your prices when she booked the session? Hold firm!!!
Amanda: Did she pay for a session ?
Dannielle: Gosh I really feel for this lady! You could ask her what she is able to afford and really bless her in her time of need. Draw up a new contract to ensure confidentiality of this one time offer? Just an idea.
Sheila: Then why did she hire you?… you have bills to pay as well. Hold firm. It is not your problem and she shouldn’t make it yours.
Jenifer: I would hold firm. She knew the cost and cost of her bills before signing the contract. The fact is, you will never know if she really doesn’t have the money or not. I would suggest a payment plan with no discount. She gets the disk after payments are complete. If she really wants the pictures then this will make her happy. Who would turn down a payment plan?? In the end you both will be happy.
Cara: I’d offer a payment plan. 3 payments, one due each month. She only gets the disk after payment in full. Don’t discount… you’d just cheapen your work.
Roger: I would work something out for the client. EVERYONE is “feeling” the pinch right now, and by working with the client, it will come back in major ways in the future. It’s NOT always about the money:)
Kat: 5 months?!! Take down the gallery and toss the CD in a drawer. When she has the money she will get the CD. Or you could have her select a few photos and discount a CD with fewer images. When she has the rest of the money she can get the full CD. (I’d hate to have her negative word-of-mouth hurt you…)
Amber: As bad as she may have it, she knew the terms and the financial obligations going into the session. She may have bills she can’t pay, but if you are not paid, you will have bills you can’t pay! I do not think that I would discount the CD personally. I might offer her a payment plan. Say 10% up front to secure the CD then 3 months at 25% and the last at 15%. Have her sign a contract and know that whatever she pays in is non refundable but if she chooses to not finish paying, she can use the money paid towards prints or a new session. I wouldn’t discount your work unless she was close family or a really good friend and it was a one time thing.
Suz: depending on her situation maybe u can do some sort of fundraising to raise money to get the CD for her… its an option maybe she is fighting with something, don’t really know what her situation is but maybe u can put together a giveaway of some sort or have vendors send money to u so that she can afford the CD not sure how much the CD costs or how to go about doing it and still seem fair to ur customers, but I would look into it.. its ur reputation at line too, so a payment plan is always good just hard for people to keep on it.
Charity: Hold firm!!!!
Lindsay: A lot of photographers I know get payment up front, session + CD or session then let them order of the website until the gallery expires, then that is it. She knew your prices before hand, so she should’ve had the money to pay you then.
Jerilyn: I too understand the “money crunch”, but as others have said, we have bills to…I’ve had this happen too many times – I make the CD and hold it until paid in full, but I have offered a few pics to be posted on my Facebook page WITH my logo over/on it that they can share with friends….free advertising for me and they felt they got something for nothing as my sitting fee is included with purchase – something I am thinking about changing next year so I at least get compensated for my time. Good luck!
Angela: Please hold firm! Do not work out a DEAL! They will expect it next time and tell their friends too!
Tim: You are running a business, not a charity.
Crystal: File space is cheap, burn the CD and hold it awhile for her so she has time to come up with the funds. I would say that if she really is in a tough spot and isn’t making this up, you may burn a bridge by taking it down and not having the CD for her to purchase later once she has the funds again. If you are nice about it and just offer to hold her files for her (which costs you, what, 50cents max for the CD) then you’ve gained her trust and she may also tell others that you were willing to work with her, gaining you more business
Sarita: If she cant afford u she shouldn’t have hired you- she has NO RIGHT TO BE UPEST! shs said she needs to pay her bills, well so do you!
Tim: I once allowed a wedding client to pay at the time of album delivery, not prior to the event. Once. And wouldn’t you know it, they took 2 years to pay and during that time my costs went up. Hold firm. And a CD does not cost fifty cents. They materials alone cost around $10 if you are getting your discs professionally done plus the value of your images is worth more than that.
Sarita: Pictures are a luxury she doesnt NEED them- she wants them.
Simon: Let her pay it off in instalments on final payment she gets CD
Chris: payment plan!
Amarette: I’m in agreement here… do a payment plan. On her last payment, she gets the CD.
Megan: contract is a contract
Sondra: Most of my clients can barley afford they’re bills, I have broken the golden rule of pricing, in that I am dirt cheap. I do this so everyone can afford family photos. I do a lot of payment plans, and a lot of discount offers and coupons. I also volunteer my services at least once a year at our local community action center (food shelf and other help), so the ones that can’t afford even my low prices have a chance to get family portraits. I hold a drawing, people enter their info in a box and I draw 6 entries for free family portraits. The last time i did this the one of the local print shops even offered a free 8×10 print to go with the disc. I know we are supposed to get paid and think money first but I have a hard time, when I know people are in a bind, I have been there myself most of my life. Payment plans are good, she will remember you for that and keep coming back, I don’t have a huge customer base but a solid one with. Some have been with me since I started and I thank them very much because they were there through my leaning curve when I was still an emerging amateur.
Henry: She did not ask for a discount, just a little help according to the question. If the CD is made, there is no more cost to put it in a drawer. I’m with Sondra on this one. A little karma goes a long way. I’m not saying give everything to her for free. I just think that a lot of us have been in hard places before. But then I’m a beginner, so perhaps my opinion doesn’t belong.
Henry: So I guess can’t hurt to discuss a payment plan..
Cindy: What about a payment plan rather than a discount. Release a minimal amount of shots and the full cd upon full payment.
Jamie: Nope, payment plan but no discount. Why would anyone pay you full price if a sob story gets you a freebie?
Bethany: Payment plans are great for this. Had one like it last fall. They just booked again and saved this time to pay up front. A happy customer is a return customer, and wiser next time ☺
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