The client is always right...?

Willallison · #1 03-15-2010, 02:45 AM

The client is always right....

This was pointed out by another member a short time ago. My response was:

Quote:

Ask most designers and I'm pretty sure they'd tell you that the customer is usually wrong - just that it's not always prudent to tell them so

To which he replied...

Quote:

I expect that the designers with this view not inundated with design briefs

Thoughts...?

Paul B · #2 03-15-2010, 02:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willallison

The client is always right....

Thoughts...?

The successful designers I know do not provide design work to clients that they do not fully support.

Their reputation is worth more than one, or two, or a few contracts.

Designers who are starving don't seem to be so picky.

Landlubber · #3 03-15-2010, 02:57 AM

We may have to stand on the other side of the counter sometimes to see how we are regarded in life......I try to pease my customers as being right, it is my pleasure to do so, my opinions are expressed if asked for, or I feel thet the customer is really in trouble, but otherwise, he who pays the piper calls the tunes.

TollyWally · #4 03-15-2010, 03:07 AM

LOL,
I build for a living and the client, at the end of the day, is always right. Except for one little thing, the majority can't see the forest for the trees. One has to protect the customer from himself if only to keep the project from floundering and to keep your reputation intact.

The professional has to guide the customer into making an intelligent decision. Education first and guile second. I try to distill the customer's desires into a limited menu of choices often with them being unaware of it. Ironically the customers best suited for making technical decisions are often the most likely to leave it in your hands with minimal input from themselves. I think this might be a sign of confidence and personal security. They don't have anything to prove, wouldn't have hired you if they didn't trust you, and have confidence that if something is really about to go wrong they will spot it and avert disaster.

My old man told me once that the most important thing was to qualify the customer. It was better to gracefully withdraw if the customer was going to excessively hinder the process. My .02.

#5 03-15-2010, 06:31 AM

Being in a similar situation, I fully concur with T W.

Willallison · #6 03-15-2010, 07:26 AM

My 1st statement was, of course, meant to be (slightly) tongue in cheek. And whilst, at the end of the day, the designer is employed by his client, surely one's professional responsibility is - as TW says - to steer the client towards the best solution - not simply accept that because they are paying the bills, one should blindly follow their instructions.
It probably depends a great deal in which sphere you operate - commercial or recreational vessels too. The former, probably more likely to come to you with a sensible design brief...
Also too, just how experienced a yachtsman the client is....

Landlubber · #7 03-15-2010, 07:50 AM

Willallison, It has been my experiences that the customer is generally very experienced and quite knowledgable, as I do custom sort of work.

I guess if we were making caravans on the water then you do get very inexperienced customers, but my boati building life has been with restoration of rather expensive vessels or helping other builders do their thing.

The only people that had no ideas at all are the first time buyers, but I do not deal with that sort of boat anyhow.

It is the customers dream to have built what he see at the time, it is our responsibility to try and make that dream come true, and yes we certainly do steer things to a better (read more practical) solution at times, but I still feel that the dream we are creating must remain that of the customer, influenced only by our knowledge of what is "right"...and styling here is not our forte...it is the customers ideas coming to life.

My last big job was a 120 footer for a Brisbane developer, it started out as a discussion one day and ended up as a complete concept design Ocean Explorer, complete with bling bling, but still capable of doing the job....and I have to admit, I liked the design a lot in the end.

Crag Cay · #8 03-15-2010, 08:34 AM

One thing I've learnt is to keep very detailed records of all discussions with the client and any decisions made. I always forward to them a copy of the 'minutes' of any meetings which spell out the advice I proffered and whether they accepted it or not. The same with letters and email; I always 'confirm' their instructions which include phrases such as 'the client insisted' or 'the client declined option A and chose to go with their own preferred solution', etc. I start the practice right from the start so it looks like a 'normal operating procedure', rather than suddenly impose it if things get shaky.

It's amazing how many clients 'forget' what was their 'bright ideas' when later they turn out to be not that brilliant in practice, or cost twice what they hoped.

jehardiman · #9 03-15-2010, 10:29 AM

While it is more clear cut in the private sector, in the public sector it is important to keep a clear picture of who "the customer" is. In one project I had to explain to the Project Funding Officier that he paid me to prevent him from killing sailors and wasteing taxpayer monies.