Customers micro-managing designs

[Sherry]

Don't you just love it when customers start micro-managing your design offerings. 

I had a customer call this week about a big event.  It's going to be busy and it's going to be crowded, so our conversation about how many and what designs to offer turned into her perusing my site to tell me which to offer.     She wanted fast designs, yet kept picking out ones that take a while.  After a while, she said she'd call me back later with the designs she wanted me to offer.  The event is now 3 days away and I haven't heard back...  maybe I'll fly by on this one, because I'll need to get my ducks in a row either today or tomorrow to be ready for the event.  Signs seem to take me forever!

I was telling myself, be patient, this may not be fun for you, but this is probably making the customer happy.     Even though preferably, I like to do it my way... I guess that's why I went in business for myself.   

What do you guys do when the customer does this.  Does this bother you at all, or is it just me? 

[reginanewsum]

Yes it is tuff! I don't mind painting for a theme, if I am told a little ahead of time, so I can make up a few sheets of designs that I will be offering.  But I just had a gig, that I had been working on for over 8 months now, I declined it yesterday.  They were some thing!  It is a swiss days event, two full days. I was going to do a pay per face with them, and I had to give them 10% of my total sales, that was fine, I had no problem with that. But OMG the e-mails I was getting from the gal, first started out, asking me what size dress did I wear, they would get me a dress to wear from the museum! Scares me to get paint on it! And then told me I had to wear my hair on the side in braids! I hate me in braids, never liked them as a kid! THEN they said I could only paint swiss stuff and they gave me a list! Cheese, swiss cheese and cows and mountains and some flowers, clocks and more cheese!  Now this even was 160 miles from my home and that meant I was going to stay a night or two in a motel, and how much money could I make painting swiss cheese! I told her I was sorry but I didn't think the job was for me! Like I said I don't mind a theme, I would have made up some sheets with swiss designs, but to limit my choices! Ah I can see it now, swiss cheese made into an eye art design! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Sherry]

lol... you're killing me with this.     This certainly painted a picture.  I can see you now, with your hair all in braids and your Swiss gal getup and all your cheese designs... trying to rope some customers in.  I'd pass too... on the designs anyway, I do like to dress up.  If they paid for it, I probably wouldn't mind dressing up.  I don't see Swiss cheese being a popular face paint though.   

[MsMollie]

well why don't you just cut a big block of foam, paint it like swiss cheese and stick it on your head?? lol

[reginanewsum]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I think that would look pretty goofy!  I do try to be a professional type of painter!   I am working on a Ren Faire outfit!  I think I will be a fair maiden!  Or a pheasant girl!  Also I am working on a banner that will be 33 feet long when I get done!  Air brushing it. All Ren Faire art, dragons, fairies, flowers and what ever else I put on it!  It will wrap around three sides of my ez up tent. I will use it for about 9 weekends total. Ahhhh I think I bit off more than I can chew!  Pretty hard with Hannah, she doesn't want Grandma to take my attention off from her! I have been trying to draw this our for three days now! Only got about 15 feet done, so I can take it to the garage and start painting!  Knowing my luck I will be out there the night before air brushing up a storm!

[MsMollie]

well i hope you post the pic of the banner and your outfit!...i just bet it will be awesome...i made a big 10' banner for my ezup in about 30 min. from an old plastic table cloth..you know, those cheap ones they use for long tables for parties? i was in a hurry so i sort of slapped it together...it was painted with rainbow colors and just says FACE PAINTING....i didn't have time to do a 'great job' but i got my point across...at least you can see where i am now....

[Party Picassos Facepainting]

I love to recycle stuff. My banner is made from an old shade. It's about 3 feet wide and 6 feet long. It's a nice thick vinyl; does not tear easily. Used hobby acrylic paints. Best of all, it rolls up nicely. So don't throw out your old shades!

[MsMollie]

you got that right! And itsn't it amazing how well the paint sticks on it! I was surprised at how good it worked....mine is pretty flimsey and thin but it works ok...not the best but i don't have time to fix it...lol... :