The Customer Waiting for the Screw-up

From the Archives, August 2007

I am always hearing from wedding professionals about that gut feeling about a customer that there is no way you are ever going to please. We have all had it; that nagging feeling that no matter what you do and how perfectly everything goes they are going to find something to complain about. How do you handle it?

This used to happen to me from time to time and my response was usually to either build in a Pain-in-the-butt charge or just try and price myself out of there budget. Almost always they went for it and I was stuck with them for the next six to eight months waiting for the sword to fall. You know exactly what I am talking about. Once I even went so far as to refund the brides deposit (with plenty of time for her to rebook of course) because she had just become such a nightmare.

I recently ran across a new take on how to handle this type of customer. Lower their expectations. That’s right, rather that trying to get paid for the aggravation set it up so you so exceed their expectations that they can’t possibly find fault. What a concept. Here are some tips courtesy of Seth Godin on how to do this.

Be the underdog. Something along the lines of “No we aren’t the biggest caterer in town but that is why we try harder.” Do you remember the old Avis ad campaign, ”We’re Number Two, We Try Harder” It worked for them.
Build up expectations of difficulty. Just like a magician sets the tone by pointing out all the stumbling blocks before an illusion you can too. “I have to warn you that the lighting in this church is a little iffy, I have shot there many times and I just wanted to warn you” “Yes these roses look just like orange sherbet in the book, the ones that come in for you wedding may be a few shades different due to the growing climate the month before your wedding.”” I have to tell you that these are some of the prettiest strawberries I have seen, I can’t guarantee they will be this gorgeous in February.” You get the idea. Set it up so that when you do pull it off you look like a hero.
Underhype. Don’t bill yourself as the best there ever was just to get the job, which will lead them to expect miracles. If that is what they want you are much better off letting someone else take that heat. You want your client to leave feeling like you are so much better than you let on.
Call them on it. If you think they are just being a perfectionist you may just have to call them on it and ask for a chance. Ask for a chance to do a great job rather than promising one and having to apologize for failing to achieve some wild promise they talked you into.

We all know that there are going to be those clients that no amount of awe and wonder will be enough to satisfy but this might help just a little.