Today I had to tell someone whose retainer got to me too late that the date they were booking was already filled...
I feel guilty. Here's the situation:
Client sends inquiry through my website on May 2. I contact them through email...they never respond. I figure, dead interest, they didn't want to book me after all, I get those all the time. I send a second email to make sure they received the first one. Still no response. The phone number is Canadian, my phone can't send to canadian numbers (but can receive from them), and I will have to fix this after this experience...Then a few days later I get a call from the groom saying they are interested in booking me, please send the contract. So I email the contract...again, I don't hear back. Don't hear anything else, no new calls, still no emails. I have odd feelings about this wedding from the beginning with them wanting to split times and have additional shooting on a different day...and how they got my name (referred by a church I've never heard of)...anyway, they apparently sent the contract and retainer to secure the date (May 25)...I never hear about it...and today it arrives in my mailbox.
However, by the time it gets here, I have already set the wedding date aside for another function. I feel really guilty now. I borrow someone else's phone to call them and leave a message saying the date was filled because I didn't hear from them and it was extremely short notice (first inquiry was 23 days away from the date, first actual response was...16 days away...and I never heard additional responses). They call back, and they are disappointed. I will be mailing their money order retainer back tomorrow of course...so they did everything on their end, and I never received any of their emails. My server has dropped ALL emails from three separate addresses lately (all of them canadian), which I find odd.
I suppose it will wear off...I also don't want to get sued for anything. But I feel guilty, like I let them down.
1) Get a phone that you can call everyone with
2) Ensure that your internet provider isn't messing around (although I expect they never sent you anything)
3) Have a scotch and move on. Some of the most successful people in the world let people down and got things wrong. However they didnt navel gaze, they just got up and got on with it.
This weekend...is going to be very busy. My busiest one currently booked this year.
I just checked my email ISP's account, checked the spam folder...nothing. They never got to me. The groom also said he left a voice mail saying he mailed the check...I never got that. I have received a few voicemails containing basically nothing but noise and static recently, but...maybe it was one of those.
But I still believe the client sent emails to me. I don't believe they were lying. I do believe my ISP dropped the emails.
We live in a world of technology. Usually it makes life easier...occasionally it makes it harder. It's done, and life goes on...you are just going to need to let it go.
I don't like booking things so close. Too many communication things can go wrong, plus it was international (which increases delays). Then I got a call a few days ago for second shooter work and I took that for the second day they wanted a few hours of photography on (24th)...from a group who I work for several times a year, who is reliable, who I have a good rapport with...and AFAIK at the time I am available for that date. I can't back out on that now too.
canerino wrote:
Joey's next thread: Samsung Galaxy back to iPhone. His thread after that: iPhone back to Galaxy.
Unnecessary. You didn't have to respond at all. And incidentally, I don't own either one. I don't have a smartphone. I have an old stupidphone.
Seriously, you are one of the most well-respected and skilled photographers on this forum, so I wish you wouldn't lower yourself to that kind of demeaning response...or am I simply so vile or worthless or bothersome to you that you just had to do it?
You could always tell them that you'll post their time/date/place/budget on an internet forum full of competent wedding photogs...
In any case, I agree with others- I wouldn't feel guilty at all if I were you. If I wait till the last minute to have work done on my car & my mechanic is booked up, well, I never blame him.
form wrote:
Unnecessary. You didn't have to respond at all. And incidentally, I don't own either one. I don't have a smartphone. I have an old stupidphone.
Seriously, you are one of the most well-respected and skilled photographers on this forum, so I wish you wouldn't lower yourself to that kind of demeaning response...or am I simply so vile or worthless or bothersome to you that you just had to do it?
...I'm not buying a smartphone. But I DID manage to get international calling functional about 30 minutes ago, so I'm glad about that.
I figured out how to make the client's schedule work: I cancelled the other event because it wasn't a contracted date. My weekend will have 4 weddings now. My girlfriend told me I did the right thing, so at least my conscience is clearer...
I let people know after sending me a message through my website and I let them know over the phone if they don't hear from me within 24 hours they can assume I didn't get their message.
. 