Is the customer ALWAYS right?

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I've been building this website for one of my clients: www.integrativemassageaustin.com

Originally, it had this really cool mission statement on the front page.; It was kind of like poetry and it looked nice and really drew people into the site.... but she didn't like it...she's very opinionated.... and she asked me to put up this quote and to make it HUGE and bold - it looked TERRIBLE!! !! ! I have since changed the font to a script and it's not quite as atrocious....but now - She wants to put a photo of herself on the front page with a bunch of info and I'm really unhappy about it. It's going to clash violently with the layout. I'm talking about a large color photo. Do you dare imagine it?
She won't let me talk her out of it.

I'm frustrated because I know that the customer is always right and that I have to do what she asks, but to be perfectly honest, she has really awful taste, just horrible, she clearly has no idea what looks good and what's hideous.... but she's really insistant. (i.e. the green spirals were something she insisted on.)
Even though it's her website - it is still my art- This will go into my portfolio and reflect on my abilities. My livelihood depends on having beautiful websites in my portfolio. Ugh. I feel like she's asking me to graffiti over a masterpiece - or worse. You get the idea.

I even told her about some visitor feedback I had been getting about how they loved the mission statement etc. She doesn't care at all. Seems to me that she should be thinking of what her customers want to see than what she wants, but she's not. Just kinda irritates me that I have to listen to her because she's my client, while she's totally disregarding the desires of her own clients.
Hypocrisy!! !! Grrrr!! !! !

what would you do? I'm thinking about quitting. I don't think I can defile my art like that.

Last edited by Chimaera1618 on 30 Mar 2007, 8:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I think that's a cause to drop a client. It's acceptable to do that sometimes if you aren't working for a larger firm that tells you have to work for said client. One of the perks of being your own boss. If she's going to reflect badly on your portfolio, and isn't easy to work with, I'd move on.

Tell her that the quality of your work is the basis for your business.

In my experience, the customer is very often wrong. In any job where they're paying you to actually *design* things and not just implement-to-order, part of your job is to listen to what they think they want and then help them to understand what they actually want.

You do have to pick your battles, but sometimes it's worth arguing with a customer. Occasionally reminding them that they've hired you to be a web designer and not just an HTML coder may help your career in the long run.

Would it be possible to make two versions of the website, one that your customer likes and a non-public version to go into your portfolio?

Well, the question is how much are you getting paid? If it's reasonable, you've already put a lot of work in, just prostitute your art for the cash. Not only is it a poor financial choice to withdraw from something like this, but you may also lose a valuable contact for other work. There does come a point in your career where you can just tell someone to stuff it, but you'll know when you're there.

I agree. As an artist, you have a right to tell her that your career depends on the quality of your work, and your future clients will be visiting her website to see how it looks. You can gently explain to her that if she cannot agree to let you make your design look good, then perhaps you two should part ways. Offer to refer her to another good web designer if you know of any; it will soften the blow if she has a reliable web designer to hire.

Can I go to McDonalds and try to order a eggmcmuffen at two in the afternoon and breakfast ends at ten? Hey I'm the cutstomer and I want a egg mcmuffin because the customer is always right. I don't care if you stopped serving breakfast.


That is an example of why the customer isn't always right. Why I always took "the customer is always right as bullcrap." They ca try to make you do soemthing that violate's the business policy. How about going in a restaruant and refusing to pay for your food because you don't want to pay. How about going in a store and wanting an item for free. The customer is always right so therefore you should get whatever you want, even free stuff.

Customers are jerks

No, if they were I wouldn't have to fix their problems at my job.

Chimaera,

In a way I can relate to your issue in that I too have worked in Graphic Design and Advertising.

Upon reading your post about doing the best artwork possible, I am left with the impression that your client doesn't have any concept about the impact the design of her web page will have both on your work as well as whatever message she is trying to communicate to her own clientelle.

If I was dealing with a client such as what you describe, I too would find myself questioning her attitude and her intentions in whatever she is trying to communicate to the public about the type of business she is trying to operate. I too would be the first to tell her that bold blurbs would be contradictory to the nature of such a business.

A business of that nature that your client is operating is especially no place for bold, screaming blurbs all over the page -at least not in such an area of business as massage therapy. It would be altogether different if, for example, she was selling used cars or if she was a politician running for election.

It seems to me that part about wanting a photo about herself and her personal info could be relegated to an "about us" link on the same page.

Kudos to you for showing her your concern from the perspective of a consultant in regards to putting her web page together. If even the most tactful and convincing ways fail to sway her into something that is truer to the nature of her business, then I too would consider declining the contract if it will be deleterious both to my reputation as a web page designer as well as attracting prospective clientelle.

For some people, there is no pleasing God or the Devil and that is the feeling I have about your client.

Whatever the outcome, best of luck.