Customer Service: Protect yourself from contractor evils
One frequent complaint I hear from prospective clients is that they spent “all this money on advertising” and feel like they were taken to the cleaners. How do you protect yourself from paying more than intended to a service provider? Here are some things to consider when selecting a marketing adviser, agency or designer or, for that matter, any vendor.
Set your budget in advance. When shopping for services, have an idea of how much you plan to spend. One of the most common marketing mistakes is making decisions piecemeal without paying attention to the overall budget.
Know what you need. It’s hard to put a dollar amount on something when you don’t know details. Our pricing process takes prospects through a series of questions to determine the specifications of a project. Who will provide research, writing, photographs, printing? What size brochure/catalog/Web site is required? How many should be produced? How will it be distributed? The better the need is defined, the more likely you are to anticipate hidden or unexpected costs. It also helps you do a true cost comparison if you plan to gather bids from multiple vendors.
Define expectations up front. I always appreciate when someone is straightforward about existing needs and concerns. Sometimes these are communicated as frustrations they have encountered with other agencies. Other times, it is just their style to establish the framework they want followed. Either way, if you deliver a structured set of “dos” and “don’ts,” you are more likely to get what you are looking for.
Ask for the price in writing. Never accept a verbal quote for work to be done. My preference is to write a detailed contract for both parties to sign. But even a confirmed e-mail is better than nothing.
Are you getting an estimate or a guaranteed price? Sometimes a contractor will give a ballpark estimate on work to be performed. Later, when time or materials go beyond expectations, the customer is the one left holding the open wallet. To avoid this, ask for firm pricing up front. The cost may go up slightly because the service provider is now shouldering the risk instead of you. But in the long run, most times you’ll come out ahead.
Ask for project pricing instead of hourly billing. This is another form of guaranteed pricing. Some agencies may not be willing to do this but may agree not to exceed a certain number of hours on the project. Make it clear that you will not pay more than the agreed-upon maximum.
What is included in the price? Ask vendors to provide you a written list of what is include in the pricing. They should be willing to do this for their own protection as much as for yours.
Are any incremental costs likely? Don’t forget to ask what is not included in the cost. The less marketing-savvy you are, the more important this question is. There are often multiple components to a project that may fall outside of a particular vendor’s purview. Usually someone with expertise can help you identify these so they won’t show up as ugly surprises.
Read the small print. I’m surprised how often new clients don’t read the fine print before signing a contract. Contract terms are generally written to protect the seller more than the buyer. It’s important to understand which rights you are relinquishing.
Read the agreement. I mentioned the fine print, but many times, prospects don’t even read the primary text.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions about things you don’t understand. The time to ask for clarification is before a contract is signed. Besides, if the service provider can’t or won’t explain things to your satisfaction, that vendor may not be the best choice to hire.
Ask for references. Call them! Established, legitimate businesses have clients who will vouch for their skills, follow-through, business practices and honesty. In fact, these vendors are proud of the relationship they share with those customers. If the organization you are interviewing doesn’t have success stories to back up its claims, look elsewhere.
How flexible is the agreement? Find out how willing the agency is to work with you if the parameters of the job need to change. It is not unreasonable for incremental costs to emerge if significant adaptations are requested, but find out in advance how changes would be handled.
What are your options to cancel the contract? Although they are rarely exercised, cancellation options are clearly outlined in our contract terms. If you don’t see them in the fine print, question the vendor about what your options would be should termination of the contract be desired.
Stay involved. Don’t think that just because you hired someone to do the work that your contribution isn’t still important. Depending on agreement stipulations, you may have a major component to deliver, such as copy or photos. But even if the vendor provides a turnkey service, it is your right to receive regular updates on the progress of the project. These are perfect occasions to confirm that your needs are being fulfilled.
Communication goes two ways. Of course you expect the advertising agency team to respond to your calls and inquiries. But how good are you at responding to theirs? In a deadline-driven industry such as marketing, responding in a timely and comprehensive manner can be the difference between being seen or of being overlooked. Don’t miss seeing that your answers to questions can save you time and money.
I can’t count the times I’ve been told horror stories of huge bills from ad agencies that billed hourly or small one-man shops that didn’t deliver on promises. By taking an active interest in marketing-related decisions at all stages, you will stand a better chance of receiving the results you desire at the agreed-upon price.
Lili Vianello is President of Visionworks Marketing & Communications, a Columbia-based full service advertising, marketing and public relations firm. Contributions to this article were made by Visionworks staff members. Visit them online at www.visionworks.com.