Whose Customer is it?

dlobel

Hey All,

I know this question has been raised in the past, but thought it was time to give it some new light in hopes of a more definitive outcome. It's the "Who’s Customer is it - Detailed Print Sales Data" question...

In short, when one of OUR customers (the gallery owners customer) purchase prints from OUR gallery, SM only gives us their name and email address. SM has pre-determined that the gallery owner wasn't entitled to their (our) customers’ full contact information (I am NOT talking about their credit card info). If I remember correctly, SM determined it was for security purposes since OUR customers are really purchasing from SM and not US, the gallery owner. Though to date, I don’t see the security breach. Quite the opposite as the customer believes they are sending their information to the photographer since it’s the photographer’s prints they are purchasing.

Months ago, SM expressed they would rethink a possible change of policy, but to date I haven’t heard or seen any changes.

I’m posting here to see if SM has had a change of heart. Also, for those forum members who are interested in building a photography practice with client relationships, more than just selling a few prints here and there, how do you feel that SM believes the individuals who purchase YOUR prints are not your customers, but SmugMug’s and don’t reveal the customers full contact information?

SM claims they may get an orders from a single customer who purchases from a variety of galleries and photographers, but that still doesn’t answer the issue for most event/wedding/portrait photographers, with Pro-Level galleries, who’s prints are only sold through SM because the photographer tells their customers to visit their gallery.

Since these customers are coming to OUR site to purchase OUR prints by providing US with their contact information, wouldn’t it make sense that they are OUR customers? Thus we should be entitled to their full contact information?

Please share your thoughts.

-Dave-

Andy

Hello again, Dave,

Chris MacAskill wrote:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1014&message=14916611

Ouch, sorry to hear that you need more info than we give about the customer. I know it must seem nefarious on our part, but the issue isn't who's customer it is, because we don't market to them. It's simply about protecting them.

We do give you their email address and name but giving more exposes the buyer in a way we're not comfortable with. Some of the customers who've purchased from our site are celebrities who are adamant that they don't want their physical address or phone number given out when they make a purchase.

We found from experience that it isn't an issue with most wedding and portrait photographers, because they know the custmomer's address already; they just need a name. But it is an issue for some of our customers like Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, The Wall Street Journal, Senator Obama, etc., that the event photographer not get the physical address of someone like Jay Leno when he orders a car photo.
I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you.

All the best,
Chris

Sounds like you are still very unhappy with situation, and we hear you. But know this, we treat your customer like they're your customer - and our customer. Nothing has changed since the below thread discussion on dpr, in our thinking about the client information, and what we may or may not do as far as letting more info out to you.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1014&message=15119266

Thanks for posting, and for letting us know how important this is to you. I'll have a discussion with Chris and Don about it as soon as is practical. I wish I had a better answer for you, I really do.

All the best,

dlobel

Hi Andy,

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'm hoping to see some feedback from the community as well as maybe Chris or Don. I didn't belive SM would have changed their position, based on just my request, but maybe have a deeper consideration if from the masses.

I wish there was a way to put the owners of all of the "leading" gallery providers in a room and ask why only SM doesn't offer detailed sales information. I base "only SM" on threads and personal conversations with other gallery providers and users.

Either way, my post is not intended to ruffle feathers for the sake of argument, but out of frustration. As I've mentioned in earlier threads, if I didn't care for SM's service, I wouldn't bother wasting each others time and trying to change minds. I infact think (most of) SM has matured beautifully. But I still find some low-hanging-fruit interfering in using your product to its fullest potential.

Thanks for listening.

-Dave-

Andy wrote:

Hello again, Dave,


Sounds like you are still very unhappy with situation, and we hear you. But know this, we treat your customer like they're your customer - and our customer. Nothing has changed since the below thread discussion on dpr, in our thinking about the client information, and what we may or may not do as far as letting more info out to you.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1014&message=15119266

Thanks for posting, and for letting us know how important this is to you. I'll have a discussion with Chris and Don about it as soon as is practical. I wish I had a better answer for you, I really do.

All the best,

Andy

dlobel wrote:

Hi Andy,
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'm hoping to see some feedback from the community as well as maybe Chris or Don.

Hi Dave,

You can consider the answers I've made above, what Chris and Don would say.. if there's anything new after we discuss it again, I'm sure one of them will come back to this thread.