Do clients turn ‘bad’ because of poor service? I share Michael Smith’s sentiments (Letters, DW 10 August) regarding the ‘Bad clients’ article (Business Insight, DW 27 July).

It appears that some clients’ stereotypical perception of designers – that they are arrogant and self-possessed – is alive and well.

Yes, profits are available from strategic work, and this may be a shock for Mr Foulkes-Arellano – not all of our clients think we have a strategic offering.

His comments do not reflect the experience of smaller, regional design consultancies, whose income base is ‘bread and butter’ projects. It is these groups that are under threat from reduced budgets and the march of design technology, which, while affording creatives more freedom than ever before, has also pushed the ability to produce design firmly into the client’s domain.  

If we paid as much attention to service as we do to creativity, client retention rates would be higher and we may, for once, begin to dispel an age-old client perception.

David Cosh, Creative director, Thomas & Cosh