5 March 2010
by 
Anyone who’s worked in retail knows the adage, “The customer is always right.” That credo often makes retail workers cringe. I’ve worked in several bookstores and most people wouldn’t believe the customers we had to accept as being “right.â€
I can cite hundreds of examples of abused return policies, mis-read signage where the customer received a discount anyway, and complaints where the customer was clearly wrong, but the manager made right. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
The policy is not an excuse to act as a doormat, but it provides a good guideline for knowing when to cut your losses. In other words, is the bad PR worth the money we’ll save by not making the customer happy?
The words “bad PR” make me think of the recent Southwest / Kevin Smith debacle. Director Kevin Smith was kicked off a plane for being “too heavy”, and escorted out of a seat he clearly fit in. He was right; Southwest was wrong. But even if it was a close call — even if he had to struggle to get that armrest down — Southwest would have been smart to let it pass. Smith had been a passenger on the airlines countless times previously, flying with no danger to himself, the other passengers, or the plane as a whole. Southwest, known as the friendly airlines, has spent years and millions of marketing dollars building a good reputation for itself. Was it really worth it not to let Kevin Smith — a customer with a powerful voice and a lot of social networking cache — just be right?
For Freelancers, Clients = Customers
When you are a freelance writer, your clients are your customers. What are some instances in which the client is “right”, even if it may not seem like it?
- When the editor changes your work in a way you may not approve of, but it is still factually and grammatically correct. Every editor has his own style, and publications typically fit the editor’s style. If the editor changes something, and it’s not how you would have written it, leave it alone. If you want to know the rationale, ask politely. But don’t argue.
- When the client changes his mind about what he wants, and expects you to do more work as a result. Unless it’s specifically written into your contract (and you should have one for this reason) that you charge for re-writes, you should do the work. The client will appreciate that you went the extra mile, and you’ll get return work. If the client makes a habit of changing his mind after the fact, you may want to consider ending the relationship.
- When you write to the client’s specifications, but the client just isn’t happy. I know a lot of writers disagree with me on this point, but I like to use this analogy: If I go to a hairdresser and I leave looking like Ronald McDonald, the hairdresser better fix it — for free. If I take my car to a mechanic and it’s not running well when I leave, I want him to make it right — at no charge. Doctors are probably the only professionals who can get away with not doing their job correctly the first time and then charge for repeat visits… but writers don’t have to live in fear of malpractice lawsuits, either.
Contracts Make it Clear
Again, the policy that the customer is always right isn’t designed to force professionals to act like doormats. Having a contract that clearly outlines what you will and won’t do for the given fee prevents misunderstandings, endless re-writes and wasted time. A contract helps ensure the client receives exactly what he paid for.
I don’t charge for rewrites and, in rare cases when a client is not happy, I will re-visit my work until it meets their specifications. I have many repeat clients, including editors I’ve worked with for more than 15 years.
If endless rewrites or complaints become a problem, I simply stop working for the client or publication. .. and I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened. In some cases, because clients know I will rewrite with a smile, whatever the circumstances, they offer to pay me for the additional work. Again, everyone is happy.
As writers, we are service professionals. The number one goal of a service professional is to provide good customer service. That’s at the heart of the “client is always right” philosophy.
What are some instances in which you’ve accepted a client being “right” because it wasn’t going to hurt you, even if you didn’t agree? When have you had to put your foot down?
Our RSS Feed location has changed!
Luckily, I haven’t had this issue because I make sure my proposal (or quote) and contract outline the scope of the writing job. I make sure the client understands the scope of work to be done. In the end, it’s what the client wants.
I can explain until the “cows come home” why I don’t agree with the changes, but that’s a waste of oxygen! I’ll give my opinion, but it’s the client’s decision.
Rebecca shares: Are You a Special Freelance Writer?
Rebecca,
That’s great that so far you have encountered clients who read and follow your contract. I know freelancers (this hasn’t happened to me yet, either) who, regardless of what the contract says and the fact that the client reviewed the contract and signed it, have clients who still argue after the fact, request endless re-writes or simply change their mind about what they wanted in the first place. A contract helps, but it’s not always the be-all, end-all. A lot of it is knowing when to recognize it’s a one-off, and when a client is just a pain.
Dawn shares: Writing, Editing & Coaching Services
We all know the client is NOT always right.
In fact THOSE costumers are a right pain.
If the client is right then that make our work wrong. I’m not OK with that, since it is the client who was obviously wrong in the first place.
As long as we are clear about that, then we can comply to the wish of the client we are just moving the goal post to suit the client. I’m OK with that as it is good PR.
This post “Why the Client is Always Right” has made sense of the credo to me. It has been a silly saying that has always annoyed me.
I get completely that it is Good PR to comply for the sake of the situation not being important enough to make a fuss about. But unfortunately that may leave some businesses open to the abuse of that loophole.
That’s my opinion, for what it’s worth.
Cheers Stephanie
I suppose in the writing arena, the client being always right in knowing what they want. And expect the writer to aspire to giving him what he /she asks for. However, the client being always right might not be the right client for you in the event they’re abrasive, abusive and downright annoying in their approach…In this case, the writer would be “right” to dissolve the working relationship in a diplomatic way , of course… Good points Dawn!
Clara.
[...] I confess to straying from this rule recently, until one client steered me back in the right direction. I won’t break this hard-and-fast rule again! (Unless, of course, a particular editor dictates it; that falls under the rule, “The client is always right.”) [...]
Stephanie,
Re: abuse of that loophole… That’s why we have contracts and the good sense and self-esteem to walk away from a client who abuses his privilege to be right.
In dealing with clients, I’m able to set my ego aside and not care who is technically “right” or “wrong.” If the client needs to “make” me wrong, in his mind, for whatever reasons he has, I’m fine with that.I’ll fix it to his specifications and go home knowing my original work was perfect — for myself and possibly even another client. Maybe the client changed his mind. Maybe I misunderstood his needs. Maybe he just didn’t “like” the work. All of those things are fine and make him “right” — in that situation, about his thoughts.
If the client believes I’m wrong — that I’m not meeting his needs, that’s enough for me to work to make it right in his mind. When I’m writing for other people, I have no ego. I have standards (both moral and otherwise) and belief systems that I stick by, but no ego. By all means, if someone asks me to do something that doesn’t meet my moral standards, I’d walk away. If someone wanted me to change something to make it worse, and my byline was going on it, I’d ask for a pseudonym. But all those situations can be worked out when we put egos aside and look for win-win solutions.
Dawn shares: Writing, Editing & Coaching Services