Photographer doesn't remember me...

photokitty

pumpkinsandturkeys said:

Paying in full THAT early seems odd.

We paid 25% upon booking; 50% is due day of; final 25% when she delivers our photos to us.

Not odd at all. Sadly. Too many photos got burned by people not paying after the wedding that it's pretty normal that you have to pay in full before the event. I only have one vendor (videographer) that didn't require payment in full prior to the wedding.

hlvonb any update??

jenniferurs

hlvonb said:

HisGirlFriday13 said:

hlvonb said:

HisGirlFriday13 said:

Yeah, I'd be worried. I would not only forward him your previous e-mails, but I'd start looking for a back-up photographer.

@HisGirlFriday13

I will forward the emails to him when I get home. Do you think my fiancé is maybe right in giving him the benefit of the doubt that he may have forgot to look at the calendar since he was NOT at the office when I called him?

I think if he didn't remember you off the top of his head, he damn well should have. If someone called my business and was talking about a contract they thought they had with me, you'd bet your ass I'd be looking in my records to find out why they thought that.

My larger concern is that, even if you have a contract with him, he may have double-booked himself, meaning one set of people is going to get screwed over in this process. 

Also, your timeline worries me. You called him Monday, he didn't call you back, you called back Wednesday, he told you he didn't remember you, and here it is 23.30 EST Friday and he still hasn't called you, falling all over himself with apologies that YES, he does remember you and YES, he did find your contract and OH MY GOD, he's so sorry?

I wouldn't give him until Monday. I would give him until noon tomorrow, and then I'd call and be like, "Have you looked for the contract, did you find it, or do I need to send you the signed stuff again?"

As my Economist screensaver says, "What, exactly, is the benefit of the doubt?" 

@HisGirlFriday13

I said Monday because he is either shooting a wedding on Saturdays or he's at home. He is not in the office on Saturdays.

Right, but presumably he was in the office last Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and could have taken the time to check for your contract then. But didn't. That would be a HUGE red flag to me.

Have you been able to get in contact with him today?

smalfrie19

@hlvonb ...update?

MyNameIsNot

photokitty said:

pumpkinsandturkeys said:

Paying in full THAT early seems odd.

We paid 25% upon booking; 50% is due day of; final 25% when she delivers our photos to us.

Not odd at all. Sadly. Too many photos got burned by people not paying after the wedding that it's pretty normal that you have to pay in full before the event. I only have one vendor (videographer) that didn't require payment in full prior to the wedding.

hlvonb any update??

It's not atypical to pay the remaining balance just ahead of the wedding date or on the actual date, but several months in advance is rare.  If OP has already paid the balance for a July wedding because the photographer required it, I would be worried that it was a red flag.

OP, anything today?  

HisGirlFriday13

@hlvonb -- any word from your photog?

photokitty

MyNameIsNot said:

photokitty said:

pumpkinsandturkeys said:

Paying in full THAT early seems odd.

We paid 25% upon booking; 50% is due day of; final 25% when she delivers our photos to us.

Not odd at all. Sadly. Too many photos got burned by people not paying after the wedding that it's pretty normal that you have to pay in full before the event. I only have one vendor (videographer) that didn't require payment in full prior to the wedding.

hlvonb any update??

It's not atypical to pay the remaining balance just ahead of the wedding date or on the actual date, but several months in advance is rare.  If OP has already paid the balance for a July wedding because the photographer required it, I would be worried that it was a red flag.

OP, anything today?  

Luckily she hasn't paid in full, she was trying make a payment when this happened. I was referring to a week or two before the wedding as pps were saying when their payments were due.

@hlvonb the suspense is killing us

hlvonb

CLI242009 said:

I have the emails in a folder called Photographer so I can forward them to him. I am also trying to give him the benefit of the doubt that he hasn't had a chance to look at his calendar yet or forgot. (Fiance's idea) since he was not at his office when he answered. He's been in the business for 20 years and according to my aunt (literally just got off the phone with her) this is very uncharacteristic of him....

I'm guessing since you have one for the photographer, each of your vendors has one too? Haha if you do, you do exactly as I do. Every email I've exchanged with all my contracted vendors has been saved and organized into their individual folders hehe. ^_~

As for what has happened, I agree with PPs. Totally unprofessional. I posted this in another thread but I don't care how popular or awesome a vendor is, if your customer service sucks you are losing my business. This guy, yeah he might be the best in your area and he might be awesome, etc. but would you REALLY want someone THAT flighty taking pics at your wedding? The fact that he has no record of you would make me worried. Extremely worried. Not just for the day of but with everything he would be handling. Money that you give him, the photos he's taking, hell when he's processing your photos, etc.

I would start researching for a bake up photographer, just in case. It's better to be safe than sorry.

@CLI242009

Yes I have one for each vendor

hlvonb

laurynm84 said:

If you were emailing with him all this time, why don't you just reply to one of his previous messages. He'd have to remember you then. Also, why are you paying in full already? Your wedding isn't until July, and I don't know how other photographers work, but I don't have to pay in full until I get my pictures, after my wedding. 

If he doesn't reply to your email, I'd start looking for a new photographer ASAP.

@laurynm84

I never said I paid him in full. I only paid a deposit (aka the amount needed to book him)

hlvonb

CaliMel11 said:

Yup we have to pay ours off in full the week before the wedding as well. From what I understand, that's fairly common around here.
That said if the wedding is in July, and you already paid in full that seems REALLY early to me.

@CaliMel11

We only paid the deposit (the amount needed to book him) The rest is due 1 week before

hlvonb

pumpkinsandturkeys said:

Paying in full THAT early seems odd.

We paid 25% upon booking; 50% is due day of; final 25% when she delivers our photos to us.

@pumpkinsandturkeys

We only paid a deposit (the amount needed to book him)

hlvonb

@photokitty

@HisGirlFriday13

@MyNameIsNot

@Smalfrie19

@jenniferurs

Here is an update:

He actually called me at 9:00 AM this morning (Monday) and was very apologetic for not getting back to me sooner. He admitted that "it was not appropriate for him to make me wait" (his exact words). His tone of voice also sounded like he was upset with himself instead of just saying what he thought I wanted to hear (if that makes sense). He did confirm that he does in fact have me in his calender for our date and that he did not double book. He offered to send me a copy of his calender that day if I wanted to see it. Anyway, he did say that he would take $100 off the total bill for the inconvenience and worry. So my fiance and I have decided to stay with this photographer but we made sure that he is very well aware that anything else like this again and we will go with someone else.

KytchynWitche

I'm glad you got it sorted out. I know it's not professional, but sometimes people do just get flustered and disorganised - especially if they're creative types. At least he got back to you and is making an offer to compensate.

hlvonb

urbaneca said:

I'm glad you got it sorted out. I know it's not professional, but sometimes people do just get flustered and disorganised - especially if they're creative types. At least he got back to you and is making an offer to compensate.

@urbaneca

Yeah. I am a fan of 2nd chances when I feel like giving them so that's why were still sticking with him but we also made it clear he can not let anything else negative happen.

climbingsingle

That's a good update! I'm glad he got it figured out. 

smalfrie19

I am glad things worked out.

MrsDeRuyter87

So glad to hear things worked out for you!

jdluvr06

I'm glad that things worked out for you,

mimiphin

Yaaay! I'm so glad that this ended in a warm and fuzzy!

EverAfer

Yay. Glad it worked out.

MobKaz

hlvonb said:

urbaneca said:

I'm glad you got it sorted out. I know it's not professional, but sometimes people do just get flustered and disorganised - especially if they're creative types. At least he got back to you and is making an offer to compensate.

@urbaneca

Yeah. I am a fan of 2nd chances when I feel like giving them so that's why were still sticking with him but we also made it clear he can not let anything else negative happen.

Everyone has an off day now and again.  It sounds like he is typically more organized than this and was professional enough to be apologetic in word and deed (nice discount!).  I think the way you handled your end also helped.  You did not go guns blazing like a screaming mimi at him.  You remained calm and civil, but firm.  

Congratulations.

huskypuppy14

hlvonb said:

laurynm84 said:

If you were emailing with him all this time, why don't you just reply to one of his previous messages. He'd have to remember you then. Also, why are you paying in full already? Your wedding isn't until July, and I don't know how other photographers work, but I don't have to pay in full until I get my pictures, after my wedding. 

If he doesn't reply to your email, I'd start looking for a new photographer ASAP.

@laurynm84

I never said I paid him in full. I only paid a deposit (aka the amount needed to book him)

You said in your OP that you were calling him to pay your remaining balance.  I just think it would be odd to pay in full 6 months before your wedding. If it's your choice, than it's fine, that's all.

hlvonb

@ClimbingBrideNY

@smalfrie19

@EverAfter

@mimiphin

@jdluvr06

@MrsDeRuyter87

Thanks! I am glad it worked out too

hlvonb

mobkaz said:

hlvonb said:

urbaneca said:

I'm glad you got it sorted out. I know it's not professional, but sometimes people do just get flustered and disorganised - especially if they're creative types. At least he got back to you and is making an offer to compensate.

@urbaneca

Yeah. I am a fan of 2nd chances when I feel like giving them so that's why were still sticking with him but we also made it clear he can not let anything else negative happen.

Everyone has an off day now and again.  It sounds like he is typically more organized than this and was professional enough to be apologetic in word and deed (nice discount!).  I think the way you handled your end also helped.  You did not go guns blazing like a screaming mimi at him.  You remained calm and civil, but firm.  

Congratulations.

@mobkaz

Yeah he usually is from what I could tell (before this incident) and my aunt even said that it was unlike him to do that too. I have found that being calm tends to get what I want more than screaming does. Lol

hlvonb

laurynm84 said:

hlvonb said:

laurynm84 said:

If you were emailing with him all this time, why don't you just reply to one of his previous messages. He'd have to remember you then. Also, why are you paying in full already? Your wedding isn't until July, and I don't know how other photographers work, but I don't have to pay in full until I get my pictures, after my wedding. 

If he doesn't reply to your email, I'd start looking for a new photographer ASAP.

@laurynm84

I never said I paid him in full. I only paid a deposit (aka the amount needed to book him)

You said in your OP that you were calling him to pay your remaining balance.  I just think it would be odd to pay in full 6 months before your wedding. If it's your choice, than it's fine, that's all.

@laurynm84

Yes I was calling to pay the remaining balance. It is weird (for most people) to pay this early but he requires payment in full 1 week before the wedding so I figure since we have the money to finish paying him now, we might as well pay before we end up spending that money somewhere else.