The customer is always right—in matters of taste.
The second part is something people rarely mention these days, but in my opinion, it’s the more important part by far.
It’s the difference between saying “I didn’t ruin your dress” and stopping there, versus adding “on purpose.”
That small addition completely flips the meaning, making the first part mean the opposite of what it meant on its own.
Of course, “matters of taste” are hard to define, but they don’t have to be complicated.
- Some decisions need to be based on rules, facts, and industry norms. A house needs a foundation, even if the client would rather skip that cost.
- Some are made on your own hunches and fresh ideas, built on years of experience. No one used the “trade-in” model in the cravat boutique until I did, and it worked.
- Finally, there are always some decisions that can and should be left to the client, if they really want to. The garden path can be constructed around their gnome collection.
I would say most questions that come down to a matter of taste can be identified by asking yourself “Why not?”—and struggling to find a good reason against it.
This is where the “I’m paying for it, so I get to decide” logic can work well.
In most other cases, letting clients run the show ends up like a bad case of backseat driving—lots of damage and resentment.