Bride Cancelled Check for Album Balance! Please help!

I was hoping to get some feedback on a serious issue I am having with a client. I designed a coffee table album for a

bride, sent her pdfs of the layout, and she approved everything after several rounds of changes. There was a

miscommunication between the bride and myself, and I didn't realize that she didn't want small black borders around

the individual photos (she wanted no border). In our email correspondence about the black border, I assured her it

would not be there (I thought she was talking about something else), so I essentially made a mistake. I didn't realize

there was a mistake until she went home and emailed me that she was very disatisified with the black borders

around the photos. I told her that it was a miscommunication and that I often put borders around photos in coffee

table albums, but in the end I wanted her to be happy. She wrote back the next day and said that she was really

unhappy with the album, went ahead and cancelled the check (which is the 50% balance of the album), and will

return the album but wants it redone. I am very frustrated that she cancelled the check before a) not speaking to me

and b) with the album in her posession.

 

My question: How do you receive payment for albums from clients--before the album is done or a deposit and then

the balance when picking up? Have you ever had to redo an album for a client? How did they approach you with their

unhappiness and how did you deal with it? What is your method for clients "signing off" on an album design/layout?

 

Sorry for the long response. I have such great relationships with my clients, and although she was always a difficult

bride, I'm really angry with her aggressive behavior with the cancelled check. In the end this is part of business, but I

want to prevent this from happening again. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance!!! Jon & Kristine

My smart mouth answer is only accept the green stuff printed by the mint. It costs money to cancel a check and the cancelation is only good for 6 months without renewal.

 

This is really poor on her part and next time you get a feel for that type of client, become busy on that date. Just consider the poor husband.

 

I would want to have clients pick up their final work and pay at the same time. If there was an objection, it could have been addressed at that time. I can maybe see if you are trying to do mail order how signals can become crossed. I would always send the final final proof to the client for their approval. They need to return it with acceptance. Do nothing verbally.

The pdf of the proofs was a good idea but you skipped a step by saying you'd change something and then misunderstood what she wanted changed....should have gotten the OK on the final pdf files before printing,....so that's the shoulda, coulda, woulda.

 

To prevent the fussy, picky bride syndrome you can offer x number of changes without extra charges while you're designing the album. At a point you can begin to charge an extra $25 per change. That way she can keep changing to her heart's content but it comes with a pricetag. Often, the presence of that pricetag keeps changes/revisions to a minimum. Yes, been there and done that.

I can understand why your upset, but the fact you made the mistake and not the bride I think she had every right to cancel the payment. Why would she want to pay for something that she is not happy with and is wrong. I suggest you remake the pages and upload them online to a website for her to review. We upload to smugmug so at anytime the bride and groom can go online and see exactly what the pages will look like. Once she sees the corrected pages re-send her the invoice for the 50% and then wait for the payment before you place the order. So you take a loss on the first book, what would you rather a loss on the book or a loss of referrals from an un-happy client. Plus you can just keep the first book and use it as an example to show future clients what the black borders look like before hand.

WOW! This is exactly why I want full payment two weeks before the wedding date. I did have a client one time that

wanted me to redo her album, after she had it 6 months, I did redo it but it wasn’t a flushmont, it was just a matted

style. I would tell her that you need the album back and full pay as well before you fix the album. Also, maybe next

time you show her the pdfs after every change you do, so there is no miscommunication. Sorry to here this happen

to you.

Thanks for all your responses. Just to confirm, she cancelled the check AND has the product in her hand! This is what I am upset about. It's essentially stealing in my opinion. I have no use for the album, unfortunately, as I already made my own beautiful sample album from her wedding.

If she never gives it back, it might be best to just be done with it. I know that sucks, but next time make sure the check clears before giving them the product.

That is the reason I collect my final payment in Cash or Morney order. No checks when I deliver or client picks up the final album or photos

I'm sorry to hear the trouble you encountered. For my wedding packages, I require 3 payments - 1) non-refundable deposit to hold the date, 2) 50% of remaining balance one wek befor the wedding day and 3) final balance at the delivery of the wedding previews. I accept check for the first two payments but only cash or money order for the final payment. I also insist that wedding previes must be picked up within 30 days of notifiaction of their availability to the couple and the wedding albums and accessories must be ordered within 90 days after that. Otherwise there is a penalty fee - all of this is in a signed contract. Regarding your mistake, it is unfortunate but it appears to be your mistake and you should do whatever you can to satisfy the customer. Any time a couple makes a request for album design, I always give them a copy and have them sign off on it. The goal is to cover yourself.

 

Swede

I always post the final version for approval and notify them via email where I ask for permission to send to

printer; this email states there are no more changes possible. I don't send the album until I get an email

stating it's ok to send it.

 

Prior to all that I get full payment before I build and send to printer.

 

~Suggestion: Ask for the original album back and tell her you'll make the needed changes (it's the right thing to

do.).

~Or: offer her 1/2 price for the album she has in her hands, the original one, to see if she wants it for her

mother or father: no use wasting it and if you make her e good deal it may pay the cost of the new / correctly

created album.

 

It seems she asked for something and you misunderstood and got her order wrong so just suck it up and do the

right thing.

 

You don't need a profit right now you just need to recover some of the lose and try to "give" her something for

her trouble. I know, it grinds you, but it's the right thing to do.

Jon, you're best course of action would be to PROMPTLY start fixing your mistake by getting the new album prepared, show her the layout for final approval, and if she doesn't promptly give back the old album at that point, THEN you can get concerned about it. She might even want to keep the old album until you deliver the new one, which isn't entirely unreasonable.

 

If your standard policy is to take the final 50% of payment for album on delivery, then don't expect it before you order the correct album.

 

If she doesn't cooperate with you at a reasonable pace in getting the layout of the replacement approved, or you suspect that she doesn't intend to return the album you messed up, then you can be worried.

 

In the meantime, you recognize that you made a mistake (an expensive mistake, maybe, but still your problem and not hers), but it doesn't sound like you're acting like it. So you should give her the benefit of the doubt and not be aggressive about getting back this mistake-album. It's the best thing to do for your reputation's sake and that's worth more than the album which you can sue her for it she doesn't pay for it in the end.

Well, you made a mistake. But so did she by cancelling that check. Legally you could sue her for that check and also charge her the the NSF fees that your contract states. Why, because she didnt give you a reasonable chance to fix the problem.

 

Now, would you want to take someone to court on this is up to you. If the only thing that happens is you drag your reputation through the mud its not really a winning situation.

 

Did she sign off on a PDF file? Did you make the corrections and have a seperate PDF file signed with the corrections? You may just chalk it up to a learning experience. I used to work in a different industry and the customer would send us a file and ask for changes before finallizing. We would ALWAYS send a proof, usually a pdf file, and have them sign off on it. Sometimes they said "change the red" when they really meant "change the blue". Giving them a final proofing is the only assurance that you have it right, wether its your mistake or theirs. And the more you do this stuff the more its their mistake.

 

Hope you get it worked out.

Since I don't know how your contract is done about payment I would suggest a change in payment method so that you don't have this happen. I would be paid in full two weeks before the wedding, just like most of the venders that handle weddings.

About the only thing you can do is fix the order, and then recieve payment. This time make it cash or money order that you recieve the balance from the bride.

Also while I know this is a business and we all want to make money, we all run into these kinda brides. I have learned to listend to the "Warning Will Robinson" quote and turn down this kinda bride. Life is to short.

Redo's are part of the business, but always collect the money upfront, even if you must take credit cards as payment.

Good luck, Joel

I would begin by correcting your mistake by preparing the new album and presenting the layout to her for 100% approval. You can always use the returned album as a sample for other weddings or you may offer a discount on the album she did not approve of as a special gift that she can present to her parents.

 

You have admitted that you made an expensive error, for which reason I would offer her the benefit of the doubt in regards to immediately collecting the album in question. You'll feel much better in the end and have learned a lesson too.

Paid in full the latest 30days prior to event. J

So let review...

 

You messed up, said you would do it right, but didn't, and now she doesn't trust you. That sounds normal to me. But she canceled the check without a chance for you to fix the problem, so you can't trust her either. But in her mind she *had* to cancel the check immediately or she might have no other recourse to force you to do the right thing. But since she didn't give the defective product back you now believe she's a thief. But she still thinks that holding the money is the only way she can guarantee you will deliver what she wants, and she is possibly hesitant to give the album back because she thinks that she may never see another one. But now you need either the defective product, or the remaining balance before you can have faith restored enough to make the next move. But she can't give you either because she stands to loose everything she wanted. But without the money or the album you don't dare risk the loss of all in producing another album. So where do you go from here?

 

Just make a new album, and let her do the right thing. She sounds like a person with an excessive sense of personal justice who has been messed over by someone else (or just read stories about it), and is determined not to let it happen again. There have been some high profile cases of wedding photography rip-offs reported on the net. Perhaps she just read one. These type of people usually do right when they perceive they been treated right. ----- Of course... ...it is a risk.

 

Take it anyway.

 

After it's all said & done, offer her the botched album for a huge discount. You might be able to turn a bad situation into a higher profit than you started with.

Have you thought of amending your contract with this client to establish the "trust" that seems to have been lost on both sides? Perhaps a contract revision that states that an error in the production of final product happened due to vendor error, vendor agrees to produce a final product in accordance with the clients previously agreed-upon specifications, client can retain the defective product until delivery of a corrected product, client will review and sign/authorize new album proofs, and will both return defective product and pay balance in cash upon delivery. Also include proposed schedule and firm statement that failure to comply will result in small claims court.

 

Basically what I'm suggesting is to own up to the mistake (they happen, after all) and do what seems right to correct the situation... but get the terms of resolution in writing so both parties have confidence that they know what will be happening and on what kind of time schedule. Both you and your client might be able to "save face" and resolve the situation in a manner that is mutually acceptable.

Here is what I would do.

Get the book from her. Use it as as a spare sample. Order her the new album and collect payment via cash or money order only.

Call it a done deal. You may have lost a little $ but in the end you want her to be happy. An unhappy bride can really put out a bad name for you.

Agree to fix the album, get the album, fix it, give it back after the new 50% payment is made in cash or clears.

have you considered suggesting the other album (misprint) to the parents???? they might love it so much they want it, rather than it getting "destroyed or chunked"!

ALWAYS get payment FIRST prior to doing any work, orders or albums. Just make that your policy and you won't have to deal with issues like this.

 

You obviously made a mistake and should fix it. Once the new album is complete to the brides specs, have her bring back the first album, have her inspect and sign off on the new album, get your payment and be done with it.

 

Use the original album as a sample that you can leave with a hotel or country club for your marketing purposes.