How Does Ad Agency Charge Rush Fees – Reject/Accept? (Part 4 of 4)

This is the final part of the “Rush Fees” series … …

Part 1 highlighted that some agencies actually don’t charge rush fees as they believe that when they support a client in need, they will strengthen the relationship.

Part 2 suggested that agencies can offer creative payment terms if they do need to charge a rush fee.

Part 3 recommended that agencies can leverage on each other to meet a rush deadline.

In this final chapter, we are going to explore:

Part 4 should you walk away because you hate doing rush work?

Admittedly, I don’t like the stress of having to toil and sweat over a rush job. It’s absurd to want to lose my beauty sleep, add unwanted lines to my forehead and encourage white hair to grow prematurely. However, to reject the job simply because “I don’t like it” is not a good enough reason as far as I am concerned.

This is something that Versa Creations will simply not do. Just because I don’t like the stress of doing a rush job, it’s not a good enough reason to reject one.

In business, there will always be emergencies. Last minute projects that need to be done, important information that was missed. These need to be corrected. And who better than the agency that did most of the initial work, or is currently completing the project?

I would suggest that the decision to accept or reject a rush job from a client should rest on several objective criteria. Now, these are just my thoughts, so, you might have your own versions, and I hope you will share.

• Internal capacity – can we do the job?
• Internal capability – can we do the job?
• Internal priorities – can we do the job?
• Internal costs – can we afford to do the job?

If we can, we should. Whether or not we charge a hefty premium because our Creative Head had to be flown back from his vacation in the Bahamas, that is a separate discussion.

We follow this because we believe in these 2 ideas put forward by none other than Jay Abraham, the marketing guru to the gurus:

• Customers are people who simply bought your goods and services
• Clients are people who are under your guidance and protection.

This marketing guru, who charges USD25,000 per consultation, reckoned that many businesses fail because business owners were more in love with themselves and their products/services and they did not love their clients quite enough.

I was awed by Jay Abraham’s strategy of preeminence and took it to heart. I set the strategy of preeminence from the beginning of a relationship – before the client actually buys. I see Versa Creations as the lighthouse offering clients the light and the direction for their marketing. We render whatever assistance and support that is required. If a client’s boat is in trouble and I have all the necessary resources, I really, really don’t have a good reason not to sail out and help him out.

Perhaps I have spoilt some of my clients by giving them more value than the amount stated in the invoice. Perhaps, perhaps. However, I like to look at it from another perspective – if we focus on giving value and advice instead of being manipulative and trying to get higher profits, we’ll eventually win many more projects. Like I said in series 2, the client will mostly turn to the agency they trust for the important projects, and not just the rush jobs.

I will do a rush job for a client because a friend in need is a friend indeed. That’s what preeminence is all about.

Will I do a rush job for a stranger? Well, a stranger is a friend that I haven’t met yet. There’s a possibility I will. I will when I have the competence. I will when I am paid a fair price. I will when my intuition, my guts, my heart and my judgment, my reasons and my head tell me that I can work with the stranger.

I will not turn down a rush job just because “I don’t like it”.

[tags]rush jobs, rush fees[/tags]