For reference, I am a freelance photographer. The family I worked with yesterday has been a loyal client for 6 years now and are amazing, which is why I feel awful having to ask for more money but was underpaid by over $200.
Every year we do a 1-2 hour session, which we did again yesterday. However, my rates increased this year so when the mom began writing a check to pay, I misspoke and told her $225 (the price for a 30-minute mini session, not 2 hours). On top of that, she is old school so I always deliver their photos via dropping a flash drive off at their house vs my usual online galleries - so I add on a $25 fee to purchase the drive and for the travel expense. I mentioned the $25 add-on as I was telling her the new rate so she may have confused the $225 as already including the flash drive fee.
Here are the two opposing facts that are keeping me on the fence:
- I did forget to disclose the increase prior to the session because I hadn’t even thought about it, so yesterday was the first she was hearing of it.
- My rate was $300 for 1-2 hours before the increase, so she can look back at old emails and see the price before the increase - making it clear I did make a mistake. Updated rates are also on my public website.
So, what should I do and how should I approach this?? Or should I just bite the bullet and leave it be since they’ve been a longtime client and I didn’t inform them about the rate before the session?
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Eat it and start utilizing invoices so your customers know exactly what they are paying for. Will help you manage your books as well.
Being a business owner has it lessons and it’s ups and downs. You will learn and move forward. In conversation, you might mention that you realized you made a mistake but are going to honor it anyway. Don’t fight to add it in, but of the opportunity appears, add it to the conversation.
We quoted a job for $2600 that was supposed to be $6200. Ooops. That sucked but we made it
Well, it costs nothing to try! What can they say ? no ? What have you lost…?
The cost of replacing loyalty clients extra the minimal cost lost from an incorrect quote.
Eat it, probably…occasionally you will run into nice guys, but it’s rare they will agree to pay more…you know the three things required to make a contract legit ?
Eat it and learn for the next one. I’ve done the same and I sure many other in here have similar stories. It’s learning mate!
Let it be a learning experience and don’t do it again
If you went to a grocery store and paid, but a week later you got a call from the store that you owe them more because they made a mistake in the price of something you bought, how would you feel? You bought a business lesson. Always know your pricing and always make sure the client knows the pricing
Eat it but tell them. Hopefully they’ll keep being loyal.
Eat the price, but if you can send her an invoice for the actual price, but include the discount you have her.
Alway let people know when you give them a discount.
I won’t repeat the advice about eating the loss, since that’s already been made pretty clear and you seem willing to accept that answer.
I’ll just add one thing, you should consider the fact that the client might refer you to other people and mention how much they paid for it, causing those people to expect a similar cost. So you may want to consider letting the client know that you accidentally gave them a great deal by mis-charging them, and that while you are not asking for any additional money, please just keep the actual normal cost in mind when making any referrals or writing any public reviews.
Eat it. However, you can mention that they got a deal and ask that they post a positive review in exchange.
Contract law. There was a proposal and an acceptance. You entered into a legal contract. You’ll be liable for damages if you terminate the contract - that is, whatever your customer will pay your competition, the difference between the price they paid and the price you agreed to will be what you’ll lose in court and have to pay up. So you can either pay up if you get sued, or suck it up and fulfill your contractual obligations.
Eat it if you want them to come back if u don’t care bill them. Don’t be surprised they’re a pain in the ass though
You eat it. You don’t say a thing. Your words are your reputation. YOU made a mistake and you own it.