Curious what a customer experiences before and after meeting you on location? We’ve put together this guide to show you the steps they take from submitting an inquiry to receiving their photos!
Prefer to watch this in a quick video instead? Click here!
SUBMITTING A REQUEST
Step 1
Customers visit our website, browse photographer profiles and then send in a request to book a photographer for their vacation.
They can either get started by choosing a specific photographer to request with by clicking into their profile or they can enter their preferred shoot date in the date box at the top of the city page to find out who is available.
Once a customer opens your profile, they can see your full calendar availability. They will choose their preferred date, then choose a time slot (morning or afternoon), then click on “Request to Book.” This will take them to the next stage.
City Page View
Photographer Profile & Calendar View
At the next stage of the inquiry process, customers choose what type of shoot they want to book (vacation, hometown, surprise proposal, modern headshot, travel advisor on behalf of a client, or commercial).
We next ask them to fill out details like alternate dates and times, scheduling restrictions, occasion, participants, shoot package, route preferences, and shoot vision.
Schedule Details
Package Details
Route Details
Mobility Issues & Shoot Vision Details
PROPOSAL REQUESTS
If the customer wishes to book a proposal shoot, we show them various scenarios, from which they choose one.
Once they submit their request, they are sent a link to a video to prepare them for the proposal shoot.
Proposal Scenario Selection
Proposal Video
Once the request to book is submitted, it heads to you to respond. This is the screen customers see in the meantime. They are able to cancel or update their request at any time.
BOOKING A SHOOT
Step 2
Once the customer has received confirmation of your availability, they will have up to 3 days to book and pay before the request expires. At this stage they confirm their shoot package, names/ages/pronouns of participants, and contact phone number.
You will receive a notification stating that either (a) you have won the booking or (b) that the customer did not book or booked with someone else. If you have received the booking, please ensure that time and date is secured in your personal calendar for Flytographer. If you have not received it, you are of course free to erase the hold from your calendar.
SHOOT CONFIRMED
Step 3
Once the details have been agreed on by both you and the customer and they have paid, the shoot is now booked! They will receive the Shoot Scoop in the “My Bookings” section of their dashboard as well as their email.
Customers receive a Shoot Reminder email three days before the shoot with tips on what to expect as well as a link to our Style Guide.
Also three days before the shoot, both you and the customer will receive a Connector email so that you can text each other and say how excited you are for the shoot!
What To Expect Email
Shoot Connector Email
INSTANT BOOK
Instead of going through the whole inquiry process as described above, customers can also choose “Instant Book” slots if they are available for their preferred date.
You set specific dates, times and routes you are available to be booked and customers can then book those slots, pay right away, and the booking is immediately confirmed without any back-and-forth communication.
On your calendar, dates on which you have Instant Book spots available are denoted with yellow lightning bolts on them; other unblocked dates are still available for the regular inquiry process.
Please note that customers may also send in regular inquiries on days you have Instant Book slots and go through the process if they choose (unless you have blocked those days off to regular inquiries). Also note your Instant Book calendar and your regular booking calendar are separate. For more information on how to manage slots and important FAQ on Instant Book, please click here.
SHOOT DAY
Step 4
You know how this one works!
If this is your first shoot, we have lots of great resources for information and inspiration — head to the Resources section of your dashboard!
Lyndsay (Flytographer in Banff) and partner on a shoot with Flytographer Kimon in Santorini — captured by Natalie (Flytographer in Honolulu) during our 2019 Global Meetup
RECEIVING PHOTOS
Step 5
As soon as the shoot is complete and you’ve sent in the photos, we send a “sneak peek” postcard to get the customer excited about their upcoming gallery with the featured photo that you’ve chosen.
Usually within 2 hours after we send the sneak peek, we send the “Photos Ready” email, which contains a link to their high-res gallery, instructions on how to credit photos, your personal note to the customer, a link to share feedback, a link to their My Photos section on their dashboard, and their referral code.
Sneak peek email
Photos Ready email
Their gallery will show up in their “My Galleries” section of their dashboard so they can access their images anytime. We also have an exciting feature called “Travel Stories” which allows customers to build their own online photo album and share with friends and family. See all the Travel Stories here.
My Galleries
Customer Travel Story
FEEDBACK
Step 6
When we send out the gallery, we provide a link for the customer to fill in their feedback.
If a customer has not filled in their feedback within 2 days of receiving their gallery via email, we send them a reminder email, and if still not then, another reminder a week later. We remind customers a total of three times to fill in feedback.
**Hint: To help increase your chances of receiving feedback, you can include a little post-shoot message to the customer to specifically ask them for feedback – often customers feel more compelled to do so if they are asked by the photographer.
Example: “Thank you for such an incredible shoot! I hope that you love your photos as much as I do. I would sincerely appreciate your feedback and your thoughts on your shoot experience, as this greatly helps me to improve my work and build my portfolio. Please fill in the feedback form that has been sent to you in the email along with your gallery.”
For sharing images, customers have the option of sharing all photos, selecting only certain photos to share, or keeping everything private. Find more information here!
Feedback Form
Choosing Shareable Photos
The customer journey may continue on with blog or social media posts to keep them engaged and excited. We have many repeat customers who are eager to keep booking shoots after having their amazing experience with you, so your excellent service and professionalism on every single shoot are extremely appreciated by everyone on our wonderful team all around the world!
QUESTIONS?
Email us at photographer@flytographer.com
Header photo by Gusmank in Bali