Dealing with Difficult Art Customers

Dealing with difficult art customers can make you want to ditch art and find a regular, boring job. Let’s face it, some people can just be nasty, unpleasant people. These folks make you want to just return their money and cut your losses on the time and materials you used.

Difficult customers can make you want to run screaming. (Photo credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 94108721 Copyright: sifotography)

So, how do you deal with them, if not avoid the situation altogether?

The number one tip is to be very clear right up front.

Communication is key. This can take the form of a contract where you list your price, the materials you’ll use, the size of the finished piece, what you expect of them (reference photos, payments, etc.), the number of revisions covered by the original price and how much each additional revision will cost. You can include a brief description of what the final piece will look like.

This form should also indicate the amount of the deposit. I usually ask for 50% of the total cost. If the customer asks why they need to put a deposit down, that’s actually the first red flag. But you can honestly tell them a number of things, such as, it’s to hold their place in line (if you have other customers). You can also say that it’s to cover the cost of the materials you’ll need to purchase in order to create their artwork. You can state that they’ll get the full deposit back as long as you haven’t started the work yet. If you have, they’ll get their deposit back minus the cost of materials you already used.

The deposit actually covers you at least in terms of materials if they flake out in the end. On the flipside, it prevents some people from flaking out. They don’t want to lose their deposit so they’ll usually see it through to the end. You’ll also want to make sure you state that the final artwork will be delivered once the remaining balance is paid.

This is important! There is a super high risk of never receiving the final payment if you hand over the final piece first. Don’t do it!

The whole process of presenting a contract can weed out would be difficult customers from the very beginning. And let’s be honest, that’s always a good thing!

For one, it shows the customer that you’re serious about your work. It also shows that you have standards and expectations, not just of the work you’ll do but also what you expect of them. Many are taken aback and decide not to go through with it. Count your blessings!

Second, don’t apologize or feel bad about your prices!

This one’s tough. I think we all feel bad in the beginning. But we all need to pay the bills and put food on the table. You have a specialized skill and just like any other profession with a specialized skillset, you charge for your work. Do your homework. Research other artists doing similar work and price your own artwork competitively.

A very large number of these difficult folks probably assume you work for free. Dealing with difficult art customers can be handled at the contract and pricing stage. It’s been my experience that difficult people will disappear right at this point.

I can usually tell when someone isn’t a good match for me. I’ll give them the link for my price list and lo and behold, I never hear from them again. Problem solved. No hard feelings. I don’t need that drama in my life. It’s just not worth it.

And the fact of the matter is, I have many repeat customers who are totally comfortable with me, my prices, and the work I produce. I don’t need flaky, difficult customers.

Third, dealing with difficult art customers requires a cool head.

If you do use a contract, you can just keep referring back to it. Ideally, you signed it and they signed it. You had an agreement.

Assuming you’re doing your best work and the customer is truly being unreasonable, you can tactfully and calmly continue going back to your contract. Your contract can also be a work in progress. You may learn something in dealing with one customer that will lead you to add something else to your contract to protect yourself the next time around.

The most common difficult customer issue is the one where they continue to ask for revisions. This is why I make sure to include this in the contract. For me, I allow for two revisions under the original price. Each additional revision will cost them an extra $50 for each one. This generally cuts their excessive changes and nitpicking right out for the simple fact that $50 each can add up quickly.

Lastly, if all else fails, cut your losses and run! It’s just not worth it.

Do not give them the artwork! Give them their deposit back minus the cost of the materials used and wish them better luck with another artist.

Ultimately, you want to be professional no matter how unpleasant they are. Unhappy people like to spread word how terrible they think you are whether it’s true or not. You can only try to treat them as well as possible without making yourself crazy. But it’s also important to stand your ground and not let them walk all over you. This is why I stress having a contract. While it doesn’t solve all problems, it does help to avoid a good number of them.

Further Reading:

Using Contracts

Communicating with Art Customers

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