Is everything still 50% for 2007 prices above a 9.5 x 13? Or JUST the list we put on in 2006? How will they know? What if I spelled a name wrong?

I'm so confused! Does anybody have any idea?

~Alisha

It's TOTALLY confusing!
I triple-checked with our rep and he confirmed all orders forecasted before Dec 31, 2006 DO receive the 50% discount. Not so for weddings listed after that date.
We do our own design and then use print&bind so no probs with name/date mixup or changes, but I'm guessing it could be problematic if they are doing the design and then just include the names & dates on the list...

I also print and bind....but.....
How would they know? Are they really gonna go in and check your account and match up the names? What if you spelled a name wrong on-line or something? Or just went in and changed the names? I mean, really!

We do print and bind as well, so I'm not sure how close it can be watched. I wonder if I go back and edit a name I already forecasted will that knock it back to full price? (if a name was misspelled, etc.) So i'm just going to leave all the forecast dates alone.

Our rep told us the names have to match up. We wanted to forecast some extra dates to use, but it sounds like they will not honor those.

I'm waiting to see if they have some new promotions. If the prices go back to their normal rates, our package prices will have to increase. It's a shame as we REALLY like the albums and want to see every one of our couples get one.

Someone out there has to have some news on their 2007 pricing and what they want to offer the professional photographers. They built up a lot of biz on the 50% discount, it would seem like they wouldnt just let that slide away.

Well I didn't even know the grooms names for a couple that I just booked, so I put a ??. That should be a fun to book to see!

Honestly, I would bet that after WPPI, they will go back to the 50% off like they did last year.
Their books are nice and wonderful escpecially for $350-$450 but I wouldnt pay $700-900+ for them and I dont think others will either.
I'll start going with another company in the $500-600 range for nice books.

I figure they will lose alot of business and either give a huge discount again or lower the prices.

It's the same way about photography, If I say that my services are worth 5K and for this next year have my prices at $2500, I dont think I will book many for $5k when I go back up overnite. I've already set the value at $2500 (even though I said it was 5k)
Thats why we never discount our prices. And for Graphi to just double their prices after a year is going to backfire.
I uploaded my last album to them Dec 31 at about 4pm. I only have one booked for 07 so I guess the most I will order is one.

I just put "and fiance" for the groom's name on the ones I couldn't think of.

I'm pretty sure that field is editable on the forecast page though. I goofed up a few and went back to change what I messed up.

I don't know if you guy's in the US get a different web site when you go to Graphi than we do in the UK. The last couple of weeks on a few of the forums I subscribe to, US photographers are putting on about the confusion re the 50% discount for 2007. On Graphi's web site it clearly explains the procedure, 2007 weddings notified before 31-12-06 qualify for the 50% discount, so long as you notify the details of the bride and groom. I can't see for one minute it will matter if a name is spelt incorrectly, unless of course Julie is spelt, Deborah!

With regard to the cost increase, I have used Graphi for three years, and our prices were based on their full price. The last 12 months and the next 12 months, due to their offer has just meant that my profit margin has been a lot more. That has been a benefit to me which I appreciate. If they do put their prices back to normal I can't really complain because I will have made an extra £20,000 during that time anyway.

It would appear from reading various topics that a lot of confusion comes from the Graphi reps in the ~US. WHy not ring Graphi direct in Italy. They always help in anyway they can and speak very good English.

I don't mean to sound as though i'm having a dig at anyone, and I don't intend to but, there's no confusion if you read what they have listed on their site and ignore all the rumours. If you notified them of a 2007 prior to the end of 2006 you qualify for 50%. If not you don't..Simple! And there is no penalty if you have notified a couple who then decide to go for a different type of album, just clik the cancel button next to the relevant name.

Happy shooting..
Carl

What if you have a 2006 bride who all of the sudden wants a graphi album and a 2007 projected bride that does not? That doesn't seem very fair if your projected numbers are the same.

Is Graphi really going to go into every account and check agianst every name? Sounds like a big waste of time and would be more cost effective if they just gave the same discount.

Carl - good points. From our standpoint we became a Graphi client BECAUSE of the 50% discount and added them to our packages with the current reduced rate knowing that we would have to adjust this year. So for us, we didnt just have extra income but are now seeing that Graphi will cost more to be part of the package.

We have dealt with Italy direct since it seems the US reps are one of the downside to using them. Seems a shame to have a local rep you have to bypass to get results/answers.

It seems shortsighted on their part if they swelled their ranks with a 50% discount then to see photographers go elsewhere when it ends. We arent in a market that allows us to just suck it up - too many photographer competing in this area so higher prices mean less calls/bookings. I don't expect then to continue the 50% discount forever but perhaps a more gradual shift or a discount if you have over a certain amount of albums with them in a year. There has to be a creative way to approach this that is a win for everyone. 50% to 100% is abrupt even if you know its coming.

We're talking about a ~$300 or so difference, right? That's just a pass thru, IMHO, to your client. (Do it in the form of a $4-6 per page price increase...OR...a cover fee. )

I'm just a little peeved because I quoted this album to a 2006 client 5 weeks ago at the 2006 prices and NOW they want the graphi! This client couldn't decided between the Zookbinder and Graphi. Now the price has jumped from $350 to $700, because I'm 6 days late. That's a big hike no matter what. Esp when I can get a La-Vie for that price. And I don't see why there is a difference if I projected 8 albums for next year I should get 8 albums 50% off no matter what their name.

BTW-I tried to change a name in one of the 2006 spots and the entered date changed to 2007. That's not fair at all!

I'm just wondering what reasoning is behind all this madness and what exactly is graphi trying to accomplish here?

im pretty close with my rep michelle, and she has treated me really well. i plan on asking her to see what she says, but i imagine that if a person forcasts 30 books for 2007 before the 12-31-06 deadline, then they should get the 50% for 30 books regardless of name, date, or print and bind changes. any other policy would be confusing and hard to enforce.... and not only that but it would not be beneficial to anyone else. i have 32 books forecasted in the year 2007 that i made before the deadline, and i plan on getting the discount on the 32 i forecasted.

i think if that is not the case graphi will have some unhappy photographers. however my dealings with them have been great to date and i have a lot of confidence in them.

That is basically how I understand it. Well said.

We have been with them since before the 50% discount, so even if they do change it back, we are staying with them.

My rep did email asking me to forcast 2007, but he said it was only to help them get an idea on supplies, staffing, etc... along with to figure out promotional items.

Didnt say anything about discounts though



Well, ya, you get truffles from them! It wouldnt surprise me if you guys always get a deal of some sort.

After having read through numerous posts on similar topics, for what it's worth, I think my ordering system may be one of the reasons we don't have problems like this. As far as I know, i don't think here in the UK that i'm the only one doing this, I think maybe it's the UK customer that shops slightly different to the US customer, heres what I do.

I have found that the UK client wants to book the full package there and then, not just book the photographer and then at a later date decide on what album they are going to have, they walk away from the studio knowing what they have just ordered.

A customer comes in for a consultation, views what we have on offer, we have seperate price lists depending on what year they are getting married, we are taking bookings now for 2009, those price lists take into account an approximate 5% increase per year by the manufacturers, our yearly increase and VAT. Once our customer decides on a package we explain that they can always upgrade their package, but not downgrade it. If they want to downgrade to a cheaper style album then the cost remains the same. This allows us to budget for the future, encourages the client not not start changing their minds. If they upgrade then the cost is what our printed advertised prices are at the time they decide they want to upgrade.
Using this principle if our cost prices have increased, then we ultimately don't lose out.
We have adopted this policy for the last 3.5 years and have not found anyone who has a problem with it. With this plan in mind, we notify Graphi of anyone booking a Graphi album as soon as they have paid their booking fee and left the studio.

What we normally find is that almost everyone increases the number of pages. One of our selling niches is to encourage the client to book the lowest number of pages (30), knowing full well that they will end up with a 40-50 page album, once we get to the design stage. They go away from the consultation feeling well pleased because we've not tried to pressue sell. It's a win win situation.

Before anyone queries, what about the bookings you don't get, they might not like your way, in the last 2 years the only 3 brides that did not book were the ones who couldn't afford it. I've even had a bride just recently booked, ringing round friends and relatives asking for if they will buy our gift certificates for her weding present so she can book one of our top end packages!

I would say that 98% of the albums we sell are Graphi, I for one definately hope they keep up with the discounts, but even if they don't, my customers love them, I love them, and i'll stick with them.

Carl

thanks for your long replies carl, but honestly i dont think it has anything to do with your system versus anyone else's. i think its just a simple form of miscommunication. it's great that your clients book the album as soon as they sign the contract, so do mine (and most others im sure), but undoubtedly we are going to book weddings for 2007 IN 2007.

so the point really isnt having couples who dont know what to get, its having to forecast way ahead of time with minor details not making much sense.

for example i know about how many weddings i shoot per year, and would like to forecast that, and as long as graphi gets the amount of books i forecasted what difference does it make when they book the photographer?

im fairly certain graphi will take care of their photographers in this situation. i do admit though that they may have done a less than desirable job communicating the exact details of this policy and it's purpose to photographers (and i hate to say it since i love them so much!).

My rep NEVER got back to me so I had to have Luke e-mail them since he has pull there! HAHA!

I STILL don't understand. I've come to the conclusion that Graphi doesn't know either.

Hi Luke,



My understanding with our production team is that you can’t update the names. The fields are still modifiable as of now, so you might want to update it with the new couple that just booked.



Our production team in Italy is working on some new promotions for 07 so they should be releasing the details shortly. I’m sorry I can’t give you any more direction on this, we’re still waiting on Italy as well.



I hope this helps with the below question.



Thanks!







Michelle Kersten

866.472.7445 x471




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Luke Walker [mailto:luke@lukewalkerphotography.com]
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 6:09 PM
To: Michelle Kersten
Subject: Re: cover question



Just one clarification... I can update the names on those entries and it will still be a secured 32 dates right? For example one entry was for September 8th and the bride's name was Michelle.... she didn't end up booking because I instead ended up booking another wedding. So obviously the new couple isn't going to want their album to say Michelle So please just clarify that for me so I am 100% sure of everything.



Once again, I appreciate it.





----
Luke Walker
www.lukewalkerphotography.com
www.lukewalkerphotography.com/blog
tel 866.559.6437
fax 866.653.5106







----- Original Message -----

From: Michelle Kersten

To: Luke Walker

Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 5:59 PM

Subject: RE: cover question



Hi Luke,



All the forecasted books that are entered (I see 32 as well) can be updated to reflect a different ship date as needed but they are secured at this point so you’re in great shape.

They say you can update to a different ship date, but diudnt answer the question about changing to a different couples name - what do they say for that? I have the same situation and dont want to lose the discount so I'm afraid to mess with the entry.

I still havent even gotten my sample package from them and its been almost two months.

mark i believe you missed this direct quote from them....



i have an email in to daniele right now though, so im waiting to see what he has to say before i take anything as fact. right now though, it doesnt look good.

me either.

Ok, well someone from Graphi just called me.
They said the names do indeed have to match and you will not get credit for any fillers. They said they can tell if you go in and change the names. So if you did not put in the correct name/s for the bride for 2006 you are SOL.

They said the reasoning for this is because they wanted to honor any 2006 brides for the 50% pricing but they had to draw the line somewhere.

Luke - you're right - missed that. Thats what you get for reading OSP before your first cup of coffee...

Thanks for following up on this for all of us!

I'm pretty confident that if enough people write them and call them within a short enough period of time you'll either see a policy shift or a nice 2007 discount, no matter how large of a company they are, we can easily influence them .

I think I forecasted 25 books with them and while the full price vs half price issue is not going to make or break my business, it is enough of an amount of money to get me to make a phone call or send an email.

i have to be honest and say this situation has been somewhat disappointing. i agree with brady that it's not going to make or break anything, but at the same time i did a rough calculation.......

with them not honoring the 2007 50% off deal i will lose approximately $7,000. when you look at the hard numbers that's really hard to ignore.

i just think if they communicated the deal better, or made things more flexible, people would be happier as a whole. i dont think as a business person you can charge someone $7,000 more than what they had anticipated and expect them to be happy... no matter what business you are in.

i still like graphi, and their products, and most of all my rep michelle kersten, but i do think graphi has a little work to do to save many of the clients they pulled in because of their promotion. i hope they do!

Brady,
With the recent problems Luke has been having, they screwed up three albums IN A ROW! (and charged him for it!), and still don't have any samples being 2 1/2 months, on top of this huge poor communication, maybe time to move on!

Too bad I just ordered my own samples!!

They are nice album and all, but for like $200 more I can get a custom La-Vie album with NO WORK, No album designs, no million changes from brides, ect!

Wow...

I like Bound to Last for matted, La Vie for just plain cool and White Wedding Album for flushmount. If Graphi didn't offer such a sweet deal with reprint books I wouldn't consider them.

Really, they are getting more pricer that Zookbinders and at least they call me when something doesn't look right, let alone charge me for their mistakes. Agian, I love Grahi's products and esp the parent albums but to major thumbs down how they are handing all of this price increase.

I'd like to know as well. I put in a bunch of placeholder bookings because I knew I'd have weddings - so none of those will be able to be 50% off?

Crap. That's not good.

Actually, the whole thing is kind of confusing. They were never really clear about it.

Andrew

Anybody find anything out about this. I haven't heard back from my rep about it yet.

Andrew

i have confirmation from graphi that orders forecasted for 2007 without the correct name and date will not be given the 50% discount. the deal only applies to books that were forecasted with the exact information before 12-31-06 and the book must be ordered at some point during the year 2007.

hope that helps.