Client wants a re-shoot because she doesn't like the way she looks

My take is:

Yes, we can do another session for the same price as the other session.

It wasn't your fault. You stated that you delivered a product that she was happy with. What she was NOT happy with was herself. That is beyond your control. You are in this to make money, Right? It would be different if you screwed up somehow, but you say she is happy with the actual photography. So my response would be, No discount.

What you CAN do to make the other shoot go better, is to really ask her what she is looking for. Is she looking to be slimmer? Does she want to get rid of wrinkles? Does she want porceline skin? Ask her to bring in a photo of herself that she DOES like. That will tell you alot.

Anyhoo, I feel your pain, and I'm sorry this happened to you.
 
Serious question:
Would it be possible to have her come to you? That way you don't have to lug all your stuff out to the location.

Not so serious comment:
Even if it's not possible to have her come to you, I'd have your camera tethered (or appear to be tethered) to your laptop and have a picture of some hot famous celecrity that has the same hair color as your client, and after you get thru a few shots you can show her the picture of the celebrity on the laptop and say "Wow... that one turned out much better!" (or get a picture of Zsa Zsa Gabore and say "Wow... I really don't think this one's any better than the last ones!!)
 
Just a couple of thoughts.

Just do a re-shoot. Was the sitting done in studio or on-location? If on-location, offer to re-shoot in the studio. That will minimize your losses. If the client is a bit "annul" everyone will know her as such. Having her (as annul as she is) speak highly of you is cheap advertising and carries a lot of weight!

If the original sitting was 15 to 20 minutes and you might be spending up to an hour with her in the studio, ask her to pick up the difference. As a business person she might understand. If she balks, explain your name and reputation is your best asset and comp the re-shoot and tell her to just come in anyway.

After the sitting and before she leaves, put the media card in the computer and review the results with her. Ask for her feedback. If there is a problem you can put the card back in the camera and shoot again. She might find the initial viewing helpful to pose as best as she can.

Also show her some samples of how you correct things on the computer (i.e. color, lines, wrinkles eyeglass glare and the like). This might be all the convincing she needs to see how much of a pro you are and the wonders you can perform.

I had a similar problem. I asked if the clients in-house monitors were calibrated. Answer = No. I brought my laptop in, set it side by side with the in-house monitor and demonstrated the difference. Then we decided on a hair color concession.

If you do a fair amount of work for this company, go the extra 9-yards to make the "annul" person your best advertisement. Think of how much work and $'s it will take to find a replacement client?

Good luck.
 
Would she cut you a discount if you werent pleased with the house she sold you? IMO if you do it for free she would come to you. Thats just me.
 
Shoot some additional shots and don't make a point by losing a customer. It doesn't whose fault it was, an unhappy customer only tells their friends, associates and contacts, one side of the story
 
Wow, look at all of these comments! I read a few of them but didn't come back because I figured that was all I would get. Thanks for the input everyone. I emailed her back and told her that I would do a re-shoot (oops, used that word...will make note to quit using it!) the next time I had a shoot in her office (once every month or two usually). She never wrote back. I don't want her to be unhappy...I think I will email her back again and offer to have her come to my place for the photo.

It's just annoying. I don't want to do it out of principle. I was a Realtor in a previous life and I didn't like my headshot at all...but it had ZERO to do with the photographer. I just thought I looked weird. I would never dream to ask for a re-shoot. I would know that if I wanted a different photo, I would have to pay for a different photo. If you've never worked with Realtors before, you should know just how much of a pain they can be (key word, "CAN BE") They are not like normal portrait clients. I had another lady who insisted on seeing the pics on the back of my camera. During the shoot she said, "I just hate my hair. I won't use these. I'm getting my hair done at the salon tomorrow, is there any way we could do them right after that?"....I said yes. I'm much more of a sucker in person, but I also did not have to take the time to PP the original images (which I did with the original client in this thread). I took maybe 7 shots the next day, she saw on the back of the camera, loved them, and we were done.

I do not currently have a clause in my contract about re-shoots. Note to self....add one.
 
I am a very nice guy and guarantee my work. With that said the dilemma is that you did nothing wrong it was her. I usually allow the client to she the pre production shots before the shoot is done as to make sure everything is great. but...I would allow a re shoot and only charge a minimum for my time. Maybe 30% original cost. Depending on how long it takes. But like I said. I am a nice guy that will go above and beyond for a client.
 
Sach, this is all very nice but when, where, and how do you decide where the limit is between being a nice guy and being taken for a ride?

As far as I know you don't make a living from photography so please answer as if you did.

I, myself, go by the contract only. Period. And I've never been sued.


I once had a wedding customer who didn't like the photos. Actually, it was MOM who didn't like them. The bride didn't really ever say anything. It turned out MOM didn't like the way her daughter looked in the shots. More talking and we finally got down to the nitty gritty... her hair looked horrible.

I told her to either buy the negs, order some prints, or shut up. It was my last wedding. Did I have anything to do with her daughter's hairdo?
 

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