I stumbled across another blog this morning and found this quote:
"Whenever you see the word “Client” in something to do with building, you know there just has to be an architect involved because no one else in the building game ever refers to anyone as “clients.” It is such a strange word, isn’t it? In a shop you are a customer, on a train you are a passenger, in a hospital you are a patient, in a class you are a student, in the economy at large you’d be a consumer. But client? The only people who have clients are lawyers, architects and prostitutes, all of whom have to live with the reputation that they are simply out to screw you. Only the prostitute is honest about it.”
Being a "Designer" and a contractor (not an Architect) I found this quote amusing and somewhat offensive. We usually refer to our patrons as "Clients" because it offers them a sense of dignity and respect. The connotation of "customer" or referring to someone as a project number is somewhat degrading and takes away from the personal relationship we try to create with each client. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has dealt with an Architect, or been screwed by one. :)
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Right. Most service professionals -- including doctors and many others -- call their customers "clients." It's not just accountants and lawyers.
ReplyDeleteI think the quote the original blogger was misremembering was that only computer people and drug dealers call their customers "users." :-)
I agree with you Ryan, as a designer I've always referred to my clients as 'clients'. As designers/builders we form strong, often long-term, relationships with our clientele. We aren't just selling them a product, we are designing indoor and outdoor living areas specifically to suit their styles and needs and in the process we share much more than the typical 'customer/retailer' realtionship.
ReplyDeleteI do feel that there is a misconception out there that architects and designers are an expensive commodity, only to be used by those who have cash to throw away or who require a signature in order to get a project approved. Designers especially are one only step up in the perceived necessity-field from artists. The fact that what we produce is conceptual rather than tangible I think is what leads some people to feel that they are being cheated. I think there are many out there who feel resentful at having to pay for something that they still can't truly appreciate until it has been built/installed. On the other hand there are many out there who do truly appreciate what we do and those are the clients that remind us why we love what we do!
As for being screwed by architects, designers, contractors, etc...there will always be dishonest people, there will always be those who will never be satisfied, and there will always be miscommunication.