Quote:
Originally Posted by Barefootsies
Exactly.
In my experience if you are a repeat customer, for some reason, you get put at the back of the line prioritizing other clients. Or, the quality of work slides to meet deadlines.
Unacceptable.
When it's repeat business, you should give it "top notch guy priority" to keep the contract. When your work slides, deadlines are passed, and I start hearing designer's excuse handbook, then I pull the contract and go elsewhere.
The difference in the past was there was no monetary penalty.
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Lets not confuse repeat customer with friend ... repeat customers are my number 1 priority which is essential if you want any future business. I have worked for many of the same clients for over 5 years, a handful for 9 years. I'll never understand why a repeat customer would come second. Every job done well is almost a guarantee of another job ...
My parents owned a restaurant for 17 years while I was growing up & without repeat business they would have gone under a couple of times.
But ... I also do a lot of mates rates jobs for friends & they will always wait the longest. I don't think that's a quality unique to designers though, my mechanic is the same but I couldn't complain because he hardly ever charged me!
Put a few of us mid level designers to the test ... we might not be mike wylde or blue design studios, but our prices are right and you might just find a couple of good folks to work with. ;-)