Wednesday 15 Feb 2006
Clients pay your wages. They may also drive you crazy. But what do they think of you? Brace yourselves…
@digital_arts on Twitter.
Things clients hate about you
Clients were asked: ‘Name three things that annoy you about design agencies’. The following is a selection of their responses.
- Agreeing framework terms-&-conditions, then asking for their standard ones on the next job
- Lack of transparency on costing
- Finding a client to fit an idea
- Not considering the brand
- Arrogance
- Lack of knowledge about a client’s company
- Not adhering to a brief or brand guidelines
- Late delivery
- Expensive non-design costs
- Leaking stories to the trade press
- No commercial awareness
- Over-billing
- Trying to charge for a pitch
- Not listening to client opinion
- Poor execution of design idea
- Being too in love with their own design. “If they have to sell it it’s not good enough”
- The client is the customer, not the agency
- Cold calling
- Poor communications within the agency
- Unwilling to utilize preferred production suppliers
- Difficult to get successful copy written
Things clients love about you
Examples of agency behaviour that impressed clients included:
- Instinctive understanding of the brand
- Innovative ideas
- Clear understanding of the brief
- Realistic ideas that can be delivered within budget
- Demonstration of case studies to show how previous work has added value to their client in a similar market
- Integrity (“Telling us what you are not good at as well as that which you are”)
- Transparent pricing
- Passion for the business
- Willingness to negotiate
- Clear evidence they’ve done their research
- Route through to the idea
- Recognition that cost effectiveness is important
- Ability to interpret difficult products
- Creative solutions that are memorable and differentiating
Top10.com: broadband & mobile phones
Looking for cheap broadband or mobile phone deals? Compare offers on broadband, mobile broadband, mobile phones and more. Top10 is the UK’s most popular telecoms comparison site. Compare & Share at Top10.com
Picture it Found
Shutterstock is the largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world. Every day we add thousands of photographs, illustrations, and vectors to our outstanding collection of premium, royalty-free images. 10% off your subscription with coupon code: DER410
Online recruitment for the UKs creative sectors
Recruiters: Search users CVs and portfolios or post your job all from the online comfort of your desk.
Candidates: Find 100's design, digital, creative, new media and web jobs or upload your CV and portfolio and let employers find you!
Click here for the latest reader comments