Fee for providing lost images, video, footage?

[hasselblad]

Hey Guys! I am a wedding photographer. A client contacted me recently who apparently lost her wedding photos. I shot her wedding 9 years ago.
She asked me to find out whether I still have their images. It would take me a half a day to go through all the archives.
My question: Do you charge a fee for providing images 5 years after you shot a client's wedding, portrait session, etc?
If yes, how much and how do you explain the clients that a fee is involved...?

Thanks a bunch!
Otto, Miami

[DB83]

How long is a piece of string ?


Any fee in a commercial envoirment is a balance between time spent on a task and how much a customer is prepared to pay.


Of course, you can, as a gesture of goodwill charge a nominal sum just to cover disks, postage etc. That way you also earn the respect of the customer and the potential recommendations that could follow.


From a pure business perspective, it would always be to your advantage that any such 'extras' are determined at the time of the original contract in writing. Then there can be no mis-understandings on anyone's part.

[hasselblad]

Thanks so much!!!