Randomness - Who's Right?

Who's Right?

I could hear the disgust in his voice.  "No cheese?"  "No, just the lunchmeat."  "Okaaayyy."  (that's how I spell OK when it's said with a fair amount of uncertainty... just an FYI)

I decided to stop by a different store the other day on my way home.  Normally, I buy some lunchmeat from the deli counter and get asked if I want cheese.  I usually say no.  No big deal.  I guess the new deli guy finds it quite offensive to have to even ask if you want cheese, let alone even consider a sandwich without it.  He didn't say so, but I could tell just by the sound of his voice that the thought of a cheese-less sandwich made him lose his appetite.

This got me to thinking about the old saying that "the customer is always right".  While that's certainly up for debate, when you provide a service or sell a product, you might not share the same tastes or needs as your customers, but they're the ones spending their money so you might want to give them what they ask for.

Now, as someone who creates for a living, there are a few different things at play here.  First, I should be attracting clients who like my style, which will keep any conflicts of interest to a minimum.  Second, there is my "artistic integrity", or things that I will or won't put my name on.  Third, there are the wants and needs of my clients.  Put them all together and you can see where there might be some problems from time to time.

Just as a sandwich maker might shudder at the thought of a cheese-less sandwich, I might shudder at the thought of taking a photo of a shirtless guy with a mustache and a mullet... in a seductive pose.  But, just as the sandwich maker might not like the sandwich he's making, he's not paying for it and he's not eating it.  If I had a photo session that was going great and Mr. Mustache said, "Hey, just one more photo.", I don't think I'd argue.  I'd snap the photo, give it to him with the rest of the photos he orders and move on.

Although your personal tastes might not perfectly match those of your clients, they're still your clients.  Treat them with respect and give them what they want (within reason, of course).  In the end, everyone will be happy.