How to deal with this type of customer?

[jtinker]

So I fired a customer recently. This probably isnt the best way to go about this but I did it.
she comes in gives a deposit and keeps saying she wants to be WOWED! I want to be BLOWN AWAY!
she doesnt know what she wants even if i try to get a vague description.

Classic Hits like

Okay um I don't know how to describe what i‎ want.

What does this even mean....
Toward the end this is all I got

I wanted you to use the photos to resemble living beautiful, peaceful, free..I told you what the vision was.. "Living Beautiful" the pictures themselves have pretty back‎ground with colours and vibe. Like I wanted you to incorporate your graphic skills into making the vision come to life

Which prettymuch told me nothing. Didnt know what colors she wanted, couldnt even give me an example of something they liked it was just vague valleys of confusion. So i made a few revisions and after I had enough I gave her the deposit back and prettymuch told her to get lost. It was wasting tons of time her sitting there saying yea yea yeah then when i was done ......I dont like it.

I saw her place coming to work today and they ended up getting what looks like 80% titnaium tints on the windows of a clothes store! And some mediocre banner with a cartoon woman on it. I'm wondering how I could hvae handled this better if at all.

 

[ExecuPrintGS]

In the same boat as you, recently had a lady who hated her fleet graphics. I asked her if she had any ideas and she didn't, just said to come up with something unique and different from what she had.
A few proofs later she didn't understand why we couldn't come up with something she liked... Her new truck still isn't lettered and i don't know if it ever will be.
Her only direction was not to use her logo on the truck...

Some customers i don't think i will ever understand.

I'm Hoping some of the vets around here have some insight in how to handle these types of customers.

 

[Pat Whatley]

I've tried getting them to look through portfolios, I've tried getting them to fill out design briefs, I've tried getting them to go online and find examples of things they like.

In the end what they are looking for is not as much being shown a good design....they are looking to be sold a good design. It's a concept I learned working with ad agencies. Agencies will produce absolute crap work but good account reps will sell the dingbat customer on the idea that it's the greatest design ever.

 

[Cross Signs]

I've tried getting them to look through portfolios, I've tried getting them to fill out design briefs, I've tried getting them to go online and find examples of things they like.

In the end what they are looking for is not as much being shown a good design....they are looking to be sold a good design. It's a concept I learned working with ad agencies. Agencies will produce absolute crap work but good account reps will sell the dingbat customer on the idea that it's the greatest design ever.

Yup!

 

[GAC05]

You should have brought in some professional help.

This lady is so good she can even read the minds of dead people



wayne k
guam usa

 

[rjssigns]

I just keep working with some of them. One in particular was just like your client. Whaddya want? I dunno, but its gotta POP! In round figures it cost him 400 bucks in "design" work for his rear window graphic.

 

[fresh]

Sometimes "that's just the way its got to be."

I think the problem is that you gave her too many choices. And honestly, the proofs were so similar, that there was no reason not to just propose one and go from there. We have had the same thing happen, and you never know WTF is going through their head. There are better sales people out there than you and I, and they don't really care what the sign looks like as long as they get the job. Or, my personal favorite, they got their cousin's boyfriend's stepsister to design the logo, and then ordered it online.

A few things that have helped us is limiting choices & stating clearly what is included before there are additional design charges. Typically, I will provide 3 thumbnail ideas to choose ONE from, and then one additional revision after that design has been more thoroughly developed. I don't mind doing more revisions, but there have been too many times where we go back and forth on little things that all could have been ironed out in the initial revision. This way we are all covered.

If someone is so vague, I ask them to send me a picture of something (anything!) that matches the design esthetic they hope to achieve. If they don't or can't, we do our best and offer to keep brainstorming as long as the check keeps clearing. HA.