The Art of Business: Your Client’s Bill of Rights
Considering that it’s more difficult than ever to attract new clients and harder to keep current clients, a good mantra for the day might be “client satisfaction.” Corporations pay great lip service to the concept, but what does it really mean in terms of creative services, other than listening well, being responsive, and doing great work?
Having been on both sides of the client/contractor aisle, I propose the following Client’s Bill of Rights. Skewer me if you will.
I Hold These Truths…
As a good-paying client or prospect with your creative design firm, I believe I am entitled to these inalienable rights when working with you:
- I have the right to references.
- I want to know who you’ve worked for in the past, and what you have and haven’t accomplished for them. Please be forthcoming with reference contact information. And don’t be upset when I call them.
- I have the right to ascertain our mutual level of importance.
I’d like to know if I am your biggest client or your smallest. My preference is to be somewhere in between; I don’t want you depending largely on me for work and I don’t want to be a small fry in your operation.
- I have a right to inquire about your financial stability.
I hope to become a very good client of yours, and in doing so I’ll be investing plenty of time and money in our relationship. I want to know that you’ll be around in the future when I am depending on you for vital services. I don’t expect you to open your books for me, but I would like some evidence of financial stability.
- I have a right to clearly understand and negotiate terms and conditions.
Our relationship will span everything from consultations to deliverables. I want to understand and agree to terms of payment, credit, dispute resolution, and other essentials of our contractual relationship.
- I have the right to expect fair business practices.
What are your hours of operation? How quickly will work be turned around? Can I call you or staff after hours if a problem arises? What are the reasons and costs of additional work outside the scope of our initial agreement? I want to be informed of changes in practices before they go into effect. Conversely, I expect you to take the time to understand and adhere to my business practices and customs.
- I have a right to fair billing practices.
I expect invoices to match proposals. I expect invoices to arrive promptly and provide adequate detail. I have a right to be informed about extra charges before they are applied to my invoice, unless otherwise stipulated, along with an explanation of how to prevent such charges in the future.
- I have a right to confidentiality.
I expect that you and all your employees will treat information and material confidentially, and that non-disclosure statements will be honored.
To Be Self-evident…
- I have a right to exclusivity in my industry.
I expect that you will not accept work from anyone that might be considered a competitor, unless I agree in advance.
- I have a right to be educated by you.
I am not a designer and therefore depend on you to help me both save money with your services and make money with your services. I am depending on you for more effective ways to create and use the materials I’m asking from you.
- I have a right to expect you to know about my industry and if you don’t know much, to learn about it quickly.
I will be depending on your professional services and advice. To properly give it, you must take the time to learn about my company, my competitors, and what works, what doesn’t, and why.
- I have a right to communicate regularly and freely with you or the right person.
I don’t want to speak to an account rep or sales rep if they can’t help me with my problem or need. I expect to be able to speak with the person who can help me from the littlest problem to the biggest.
- I have a right to know if and when you are using contractors.
I understand not every design firm can handle all creative tasks. But I have a right to know when you are using an inordinate number of outside designers, writers, or vendors.
- I expect you to take the time to document my requirements.
I understand that personnel come and go, and a designer here today may not be there tomorrow. That is why I trust that you will maintain a custom profile of my company’s needs, business practices, and history. When a personnel change does occur, it is your duty to bring new staff up to speed, not mine.
- I have a right to competitive pricing.
I may not ask or expect you to be the lower bidder, but I expect competitive prices. This is particularly true later in our relationship when I no longer may be asking other firms for bids.
As a client that’s what I’d want in my Bill of Rights. Can you think of any more? Email me (er**@*************ne.com) and I’ll keep a running list for future columns. I promise.
This article was last modified on July 18, 2023
This article was first published on March 11, 2002
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