Sunday Morning Messages
28 May 2024
There are several topics that we designers like to talk about apart from the design concepts, materials, contractor issues, site issues, latest trends and more. But one topic that we generally laugh about is how clients spend hours on social media to pull out references and tell us what they would like.
It is a given fact that one should not make work calls on weekends to any professional but weekends are the times when most parties and socializing happens. All the pictures are taken secretly or discreetly on Saturday evening and we are flooded with these pictures and messages on Sunday mornings. And then Monday morning is when you are expected to make design changes and the cycle continues every weekend.
Please give more options is a sentence used very easily. Interestingly these requests come mostly from the woman folk. Are they more competitive, comparative and always in I want it mode?
When a project is approached there is lot of thought that goes into creating a concept and a story board. Most times the client start with approving that and then during the process of building all these alterations are needed.
Every year our contracts are edited to add more clauses which might seem petty. For e.g., calls are entertained only from 10.30 am to 6 pm from Monday to Friday. Now I feel like adding WhatsApp messages clause also to these. Is it not given that no calls also mean no form of communication. We are not doctors to have to attend any emergency. Fortunately, we don’t deal with life and death situation.
We need our weekend to unwind, take care of ourselves and our families and do personal chores. Funnily we also want to visit places for inspiration.
We have come across very professional clients who understand this and don’t ask for site visits unless needed, call only when needed, check our availability to take calls and discuss approvals.
The projects which had the least interference have been the most successful projects. And that all my designer friends share the same feeling.
