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[bblackwood]

What do you guys feel are the most important things you offer your clients? Experience? Equipment? Comfortable environment? A personality that puts them at ease?

Lets list off some thing we feel like we offer our clients that keeps them singing our praises. This list might help some/all of us see things we have been neglecting.

What's the most important thing you offer your clients? And what follows that?

[bobkatz]

Empathy

[dcollins]

Well, you know the olde quote:

"Fresh coffee, adequate parking, and good looking lables"

Can't go wrong with "experience" although many people think it has to do with gear....

DC

[MASSIVE Mastering]

I haven't met 90% of my clients, so it must be my shining personality.    

It certainly isn't my DAT machine...  

[Gold]

Winning personality and regular bathing.

Being able to see a vinyl project from mastering through pressing has proven to be a winning combination for everyone involved. Anyone who presses records has been involved in a pass the buck contest. Since I know what it all looks like under the microscope I can tell who screwed up. We can't pass the buck.

I just got a bunch of gigs because a well respected mastering house got in a spat with a well respected pressing plant. I looked at the record and it was a pressing issue. The explanation from the well respected mastering house was 'the side is too long so it's noisy'. It was a 20 minute side which is not very long. It wasn't even their fault and they didn't get it right. Of course when there is a problem there isn't much wiggle room.

Everyone also likes taking a record hot off the press and listening to it in the studio for QC.

[lucey]

Musical quality and value.

A green leather sofa everyone loves.

A pretty location away from the city, but not too far away.

[j.hall]

the ability, or better yet, desire to never say "no"

i don't master, i mix and produce.  i like being the guy that honestly attempts to pull off everything the band wants to do

in any studio i'm at.....i figure, i owe to them to at least try....

i've come across some great ideas and methods by doing some crazy stuff

[Level]

J hall, that "crazy stuff" is what keeps us on top of the game. I salute you!

[D Harris]

An Opinion.

The client may agree or disagree with it, they may follow it or not, but it's an honest opinion and I generally won't back down from it.
Sounds simple, and it is, but many times that is all the client really wants.  

[Level]

I give them a free hour to show music examples and to make them confortable with the process. I educate, entertain and provide a sense of confort to the client that keeps them coming back for more. I also supply a willingness to revisit anything they feel needs more work or changes and let them know how much I am willing to give them pro bono to make them happy. I also (to avoid any misgivings) know when the job is finished and I do not allow too much second guessing if the process is final and I feel it is the best it gets for them.

I also offer to say NO, if I feel that the turd is only going to smell when messed with. Education, compassion and openess makes the cut around here.

Careful balance of business and fun.

[bblackwood]

Experience is what wins it, imo.

Also, I think one of the most often overlooked traits that really helps an engineer is the ability to interface comfortably with clients. I've met engineers that appear almost uncomfortable in their own skin when dealing with others, but without exception (that I can think of), the mastering engineers that seem to always come out on top (almost regardless of how you measure it) are the ones that really make the client comfortable and at ease...

[Oldfart]

I agree with Mr. Katz.

Empathy