If it’s true that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, then it’s vital for interior designers to set the right tone. Just what that tone is, though, can be determined as soon as you divulge whether or not you will charge for an initial consultation. So, do you charge a consultation fee? AD PRO grills a selection of designers throughout the U.S. on their best practices. Take your cues from them.
Let It Slide
“The first time I meet with someone for a consultation, I think of it as an interview. I don’t charge because I’m interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing me,” says Atlanta-based interior designer Tish Mills. She adds that if money changes hands, she might feel obligated to take a job that’s not ideal.
Designer Carrie Maniaci of M2 Design, who splits her time between Laguna Beach, California, and Dallas, also doesn’t bill for initial consultation meetings because approximately 90 percent of her high-end clients come through referrals. The 15-year industry veteran sees the initial meeting as an opportunity to “make sure we're the right fit and that I want to take the job,” she tells AD PRO. “It's about making sure we have that connection, to see what their vision is for that space and how well we’ll work together.”
Pay to Play
Liz Toombs, president of PDR Interiors with offices in Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, however, has charged a consultation fee since she started her business 10 years ago, and stresses the importance of transparency from the beginning. “During our initial discussion, I let them know what to expect at our first meeting, and that includes the fee. I rarely get questions or pushback,” she says.
Charge—With Caveats
For Roughan Interior Design founder Christina Roughan, who is based in Greenwich, Connecticut, and regularly works in New York, a hybrid approach works best. “As a designer, your time is money, and people need to respect that,” she tells AD PRO. “However, if I'm going to [consult on] a job within a 20-mile radius, I won't charge, because my whole theory is that the client wants to connect with you. You don't want money to bind you [to the job] or for the client to feel odd because they’re probably interviewing a number of people.” Should a prospective client who lives in a farther-flung city request an in-person meeting, Roughan institutes a fee (sometimes plus travel expenses if she has to fly), but that amount gets credited to the project fee if the client hires her firm.
San Diego–based designer Kristin Kostamo McNeil, owner of Anne Rae Design, finds her policy evolving. If a referral comes from a previous client, after vetting the project by phone, she meets at no charge. However, if someone makes a cold inquiry, there is a fee. “Charging for the initial meeting ensures the client is serious and they aren't looking to get ideas or free advice from a professional. It also sets boundaries and expectations regarding the value of our time,” she explains.
Charge—For a Cause
Then there's Zoë Feldman, who operates her eponymous design practice in Washington, D.C. She's recently instituted a more altruistic approach: A $225 consultation fee is donated to one of several environmental charities—among them, the renewable energy nonprofit 350.org, Charity: Water, the Sierra Club, and The Ocean Cleanup. If a client signs, Feldman’s firm matches the donation, so everyone wins.
“It's important to feel like I'm doing my part, helping to make an impact,” she explains. “I now feel my time is well spent, even when we don't land the job, because something good comes out of that hour.”
