As someone that spent 18 years in customer service working for bigger companies, I’ve had a LOT of customer services and management training. Sometimes as creatives and artists it’s tough to balance our style/ art with the client expectations to ensure our client’s have the best overall experience and love their photos for years to come. Once a month (sometimes more during peak season or when I’m in a rut), I use this checklist to make sure I’m prioritizing clients and their needs. Do I hit the mark 100% of the time? No! Absolutely not! Am I trying to every single time with every single client or potential client? Yes!! 100%!!
To stay client focused, I check in on the following-
🐝 Do I feel positively about how I am interacting & treating my clients?
Dig in deep- are there any interactions that I wish you could do-over? Why? Could I think of some prepared responses in case I'm in that position again? What interactions have I had that I'm proud of how I handled that maybe I wouldn't have handled as well in the past?
🐝 What am I doing to provide the best value to my clients?
Top 3-5 things that I'm doing that show this? If I can't think of 3+ things- what do I need to do to change that?
🐝 Am I putting my client experience at the top of my priority list?
Girl, you better be! You know better!
🐝 What can I do to enhance the overall client experience?
Do I need to check in more? More follow-ups? Look at the experience you're delivering as if you were the client- what do you wish you had on the other side?
🐝 Are you actively seeking feedback?
Maybe just saying "I'm open to feedback" isn't enough- what questions can you ask your clients to make sure they are giving you feedback even if it's not direct? Should I be sending out a post- session/ wedding survey?
🐝 What feedback have I received from clients that I can apply to future situations?
I've gotten feedback that doesn't align with my business/ personal morals and goals, and that's okay. But think about why it doesn't? Am I being defensive? Am I being biased or objective? Are their pieces that should be applied?
🐝 What are my biggest clients “wins”?
CELEBRATE THE LIVING HECK OUT OF THESE!! Life is stressful, celebrate those W's girl!!
🐝 Am I doing right by my clients?
Plain and simple? Am I? If yes, GREAT! Keep going and add to it! If not, what needs to change immediately? What needs to change in the overall process?
Is this just for wedding/ lifestyle photographers? Nope! Anyone in a customer service role can use these to push themselves to deliver a better experience than they did yesterday ♥️
