I give an expository look at how customer relations is important in retaining clients whilst in the business of Photography.

1. CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND RETENTION IN THE
BUSINESS OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
A Bola Oguntade Photography Workshop at Twinkle Court , Maryland 22-26 August 2016
Presented by
Chibuzor Okonkwo

2. Photography is an art, and for
every art there are enthusiast
and an enthusiast can become a
potential customer; for every
customer there is a potential
sale or contract to be won and
for every sale, there is the
prospect for the customer to be
retained, thus becoming a loyal
customer.
Understanding the impact that
customer relations has on the
business of photography cannot
be over emphasized.
Overview

3. It’s important to be a master in
your craft, it’s also very important
to have a customer service
philosophy if you want to keep your
clients happy and make them your
loyal customers. You thus become
an addictive commodity, and it’s
either you or no one else.
To get to that point where you
literally become an essential
commodity in the field, you must
pay the price. Organisations that
are in business for the long haul,
know how important customer
relations is to the soul of their
business.

4. A lot of talented professionals and
entrepreneurs have lost potential
lifelong customers due to poor
customer relations, poor
interpersonal skills and poor
service philosophy.
It is therefore imperative to have a
well rounded understanding of the
importance of customer relations
and retention in the business of
photography.

5. You walk into a tastefully
furnished Eatery with a
pleasing ambience, you place
an order of rice with Salad and
a bottle of wine, but you notice
that the food is cold, you then
ask for the waitress, who
comes to your table with a
frowning face, after you lay
your complaints, she
‘lackadaisically tells you the
microwave is bad’, there is
nothing I can do; you then
reply ‘so what am I suppose
do? She then replies you rudely
‘I don’t know’.
Question: Would you go back
there to eat? Let’s discuss

6. Customer service, by definition, is
about serving people. When
people refer to customer service,
they’re usually talking about the
process of getting help before,
during or after a purchase.
The customer is suppose to be
happy at the end of the day.
Hence, if at the end of providing a
service, you don’t leave your
customer happy like this lady, then
something is might be wrong.

7. “Customer service is also a voluntary act that demonstrates a
genuine desire to satisfy, if not delight, a customer.” - Steve
Curtin, author of “Delight Your Customers”
Customer service is part of a holistic customer experience that is
capable of providing a critical competitive advantage in today's
increasingly cluttered and commoditized marketplace.” - Joseph
Jaffe, Founder at Evol8tion
“Customer service represents the heart of a brand in the hearts
of its customers” - Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach

8. Service philosophy is defined as the “values and priorities
of what is important to your business when interacting with
customers”.
It is the guiding principles on how to treat your customers.
Question:
What is important to you as a photographer?
Is it about creating lasting images for your clients?
Or capturing memorable occasions?
You alone can answer that question.
MINDSET

9. UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER TYPES.
 PASSIVE CUSTOMER
 ASSERTIVE CUSTOMER
 AGRESSIVE CUSTOMER

10. PASSIVE CUSTOMER
• Silent
• Undecided
• Goes with the flow
• Doesn’t complain,
• Provides little or no information
• Lacks immediate feedback.

11. ASSERTIVE CUSTOMER
• Free thinker
• knows what they want
• very knowledgeable
• demands respect
• Takes charge

12. AGRESSIVE CUSTOMER
• Loud
• Rude
• Inconsiderate
• Annoying
• Unyielding

13. It is important to understand your customer
perspective or to a large extend try to
understand them. This is very important as
it puts you on a higher ground to deal
effectively and appropriately with your
clients.
CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE

14. • Wants to be treated with respect
• Wants you to guide them on the best decision
• Wants you to be honest and open to him or her
• Wants you to be a master in your craft
• Wants you to deliver on the task
• Wants you to understand them and what they want
What do your customers want from you?

16. SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT
(Realistic timeline, Deliverables,
Closures)
A common feature of an SLA is a
contracted delivery time (of
the service or performance). As
an example,
Internet service providers and
Telecommunication will
commonly include service level
agreements within the terms of
their contracts with customers to
define the level(s) of service being
sold in plain language terms.
SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT

17. BUSINESS ETIQUETTES
KEEP TO TIME.
The business of Photography is a
time bound business, hence it
becomes imperative to develop time
consciousness in performance and
delivery. Nobody wants to get to the
wedding and find that the
contracted Photographer is not
available. Whatever might keep you
late has to be addressed before
hand. Equipment must be at the
venue and well tested. There’s need
to have back up equipment in case
of equipment failures

18. This should go without saying,
but even in a very casual
professional atmosphere, this
basic form of courtesy is still
imperative
Whilst taking your shots, you
don’t want to sound like a
dictator or a commander.
You must at all times speak with
courtesy in the discharge of your
job.
ALWAYS SAY “PLEASE” AND “THANK YOU.”

19. At the end of the day, your customers are Kings
and Queens. How do you speak to royalty? We
respect and adore them. Whether they are
paying six digit sums or a few thousands,
always treat them well. You never know where
your next referral would come from.
Remember, be assertive, not aggressive.
By all means don’t be rude to your clients,
whether they are wrong or right.

20. Written and verbal communication can be
difficult to express sometimes. It is
important that we gauge what we say so
as not to offend people.
Of course, offensive, rude or nasty
language is unacceptable, but so is slang.
While it may be routine in our society, it’s
never good enough in a professional
atmosphere.
WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE.

21. It would be a major scandal if you deliver to
your client another person’s pictures. It
would be even more embarrassing and
highly unprofessional if this were to
happen. Hence the need to double check
your materials before delivery.
That is why having a checklist is extremely
important
Double-check before you deliver works to
your clients.

22. EMPATHY
The concept of empathy is a key
element in Customer relations. It
involves putting yourself in your
customer’s shoes. Feeling what
the customer feels as you interact
and work with them.
Customers feel more appreciated
when you are able to empathize
with them and it helps to build a
connection.
The real goal of customer service
is to provide a positive experience
that people associate with your
company.

23. There are certain times that based on
your workload that you might have to
decline some offers. Declining is not the
problem, but how you decline is very
important.
You don’t want to sound cocky, snobbish
and proud, since there can always be a
tomorrow. So it is important to show
empathy and concerned, listen to what
the client has to say then respectfully
refuse the job and try to give or
recommend an alternative
photographer’s number. This is a much
more professional means of refusing a
job. It is important not to hurt your
customers ego by any means.
HOW TO PROFESSIONALLY DECLINE A DEAL

24. CUSTOMER RETENTION
This refers to the activities and
actions companies and
organisations take to reduce the
number of customer defections.
The goal of customer retention
program is to help companies
retain as many customers as
possible, often through customer
loyalty and brand initiatives.
Both tangible and intangible
gestures would come in handy at
this point in making sure that your
customers stick with your brand

25. In today’s competitive business world,
there is no gain saying that
advertisement is a key component of
marketing products and services. But
the surest means of getting clients is
by personal referrals (Word of
Mouth).
If you are going to grow in the field of
photography, there is the need to
have customers who without any
inducement of any form are willing
and able to recommend you to their
friends and relations and colleagues-
that you can deliver on the job.
THE POWER OF WORD OF MOUTH.
NB: Word of Mouth is good, but you must know your Onions.

26. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE (CEX)
This is the sum of all the
experiences a customer has, over
the duration of their relationship
with a business or brand. It can
also mean an individual experience
over a transaction.
CEX refers to everything related to
how our customers interact with
us. From the first meeting to the
quality of your work, to the various
interactions they have with you in
the process of getting the job
done.

27. It is the customer’s experience, hence you have no control over
his final rating of your Company as he/ she would have a fair idea
of how to rate the entire service rendered. It’s not just about the
job you have been paid to do for them. It’s a culmination of
everything. The way you talk, smile, address issues, hand their
jobs etc

29. MOMENT OF TRUTH IN CUSTOMER RELATIONS.
“Anytime a customer comes into contact with any aspect of your
business, however remote, is an opportunity to form an impression.”

30. ELEMENTS OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
The elements include:
•Awareness: When the client needs
the service of a photographer
•Discovery: Client discovers you
through Selling your brand, referrals
etc.
•Interaction: You interact and have a
clear understanding of what the
customer wants
•Attraction: You have gotten the
potential client excited
•Purchase: You have been given the job
•Use: the end product is delivered to
your client and inspected
•Cultivation: You client likes your work
•Advocacy: Word of mouth (Free
advert to friends and family)

31. CLOSE LOOP FEEDBACK
This is a mechanism used to measure the
impact of your service to your clients,
through a feedback system.

32. Class exercise:
Take a piece of paper and write out four reasons why anybody
should patronise you?
What is your Unique Selling Point?
PERSONAL BRANDING