HelloSORRISO
Well-Known Member
Hi There,
I posted this and in a tizzy my post didn't make sense so here I go again trying to make sense the 2nd time round. Forgive me, its going to be a long one but I could really do with the advice.
I am a Make-Up Artist for proms, parties, weddings, a nail technician and a Hair Up-do stylist again from pons, parities, weddings and other special occasions. I have another business. I am a Wedding photographer.
Last year was my final year as a part-time "jack of all trades" type going under a different business name while I continued to work full time... Basically I did make up and hair and photographay however I could, whenever i could along with photographing anything and everything to get exposure and experience. I worked alongside various charitable organisations offering raffle prizes to them which would entail make-over photoshoots for one person at my home studio.
Again, I was working full-time so this never really kicked off how I wanted it to so late last year i decided I was going to rebrand. This year I got help from the Prince's Trust with my business plan etc, took it far more seriously, registered the new brand, now I'm full-time self employed. I now specialise in WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY only (when it comes to that side of business) and I do nails day in day out with the odd makeup and hair for brides and proms under a totally different name that isn't known to this person (he has just seen the wedding photography stuff). I don't do Make-over shoots, family shoots etc. Only weddings now when photographing. ANYONE who booked me before I rebranded for a future date which happened to be once my new brand went live, I have honoured all of those bookings and gone through with them. My last one was early this year in february and I've had no more since then. I was contacted last week by a raffle prize winner saying he wanted a family photoshoot with his wife and children (this has never been a raffle prize I think he was winging it and seeing if I agreed). I told him that I've seized all business as my previous business and the services are no longer available to him with the new business because we are wedding photographers only and don't offer what he requires which wasn't detailed in the raffle prize anyway. He went on to send me the following message.
"Hi,
Please don't patronise me. I am quite happy with my donation and still glad I bought the raffle tickets as the money went to a worthwhile cause.
On the other hand, your company should be ashamed of your stance in not honouring a prize you offered as part of an event which was for charity.
I see by your website you still offer the photoshoot which my prize detailed so please don't try to use a technicality to try to get out of it.
I would not take up the offer of the photoshoot now anyway following your stance and will be taking the matter further.
Regards
******* ********"
This really upset me. I wasn't patronising at all, I was nice, maybe even TOO nice and apologetic from the off. He purchased the raffle ticket for £5 and wants to take the matter up further but doesn't even want the offer now anyway. I have no idea what he means by this and hat he can do about this? Am I completely in the wrong? I have no copy of the raffle prize anymore but I'm pretty sure that it may have been out of date by now anyway. I had no contact from him whatsoever until now. All of my other clients were happy with their service, they were happy to be informed that the brand was changing so their packaging may look a little different to what it does on the raffle prize letters. Its just not in my capacity any more to be able to offer this service to him. I'm so busy with either big bookings for bridal makeup or bigger bookings for well paid wedding bookings which takes up such a crazy amount of time.
What to do now?
Sorry for the essay. HELP!
I posted this and in a tizzy my post didn't make sense so here I go again trying to make sense the 2nd time round. Forgive me, its going to be a long one but I could really do with the advice.
I am a Make-Up Artist for proms, parties, weddings, a nail technician and a Hair Up-do stylist again from pons, parities, weddings and other special occasions. I have another business. I am a Wedding photographer.
Last year was my final year as a part-time "jack of all trades" type going under a different business name while I continued to work full time... Basically I did make up and hair and photographay however I could, whenever i could along with photographing anything and everything to get exposure and experience. I worked alongside various charitable organisations offering raffle prizes to them which would entail make-over photoshoots for one person at my home studio.
Again, I was working full-time so this never really kicked off how I wanted it to so late last year i decided I was going to rebrand. This year I got help from the Prince's Trust with my business plan etc, took it far more seriously, registered the new brand, now I'm full-time self employed. I now specialise in WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY only (when it comes to that side of business) and I do nails day in day out with the odd makeup and hair for brides and proms under a totally different name that isn't known to this person (he has just seen the wedding photography stuff). I don't do Make-over shoots, family shoots etc. Only weddings now when photographing. ANYONE who booked me before I rebranded for a future date which happened to be once my new brand went live, I have honoured all of those bookings and gone through with them. My last one was early this year in february and I've had no more since then. I was contacted last week by a raffle prize winner saying he wanted a family photoshoot with his wife and children (this has never been a raffle prize I think he was winging it and seeing if I agreed). I told him that I've seized all business as my previous business and the services are no longer available to him with the new business because we are wedding photographers only and don't offer what he requires which wasn't detailed in the raffle prize anyway. He went on to send me the following message.
"Hi,
Please don't patronise me. I am quite happy with my donation and still glad I bought the raffle tickets as the money went to a worthwhile cause.
On the other hand, your company should be ashamed of your stance in not honouring a prize you offered as part of an event which was for charity.
I see by your website you still offer the photoshoot which my prize detailed so please don't try to use a technicality to try to get out of it.
I would not take up the offer of the photoshoot now anyway following your stance and will be taking the matter further.
Regards
******* ********"
This really upset me. I wasn't patronising at all, I was nice, maybe even TOO nice and apologetic from the off. He purchased the raffle ticket for £5 and wants to take the matter up further but doesn't even want the offer now anyway. I have no idea what he means by this and hat he can do about this? Am I completely in the wrong? I have no copy of the raffle prize anymore but I'm pretty sure that it may have been out of date by now anyway. I had no contact from him whatsoever until now. All of my other clients were happy with their service, they were happy to be informed that the brand was changing so their packaging may look a little different to what it does on the raffle prize letters. Its just not in my capacity any more to be able to offer this service to him. I'm so busy with either big bookings for bridal makeup or bigger bookings for well paid wedding bookings which takes up such a crazy amount of time.
What to do now?
Sorry for the essay. HELP!