The Landscape Professional and Client Relationship

THE DESIGN PROCESS SHOULD BE ENJOYABLE FOR EVERYONE
An interview with Stacy Fausett

Stacy Fausett is a highly respected Landscape Architect who takes great pride in what she does. She is quick to say that when she is asked to return and do further work for a client, she considers it a great compliment. We often see her at Eye of the Day, pen and paper in hand, walking the greenhouse and annex, taking lots of notes for her clients. She is looking for things that will fit into a particular design for her clients’ landscape and home. Stacy has worked to build long-lasting relationships with many of her clients, seeing them through a project, and over time moving on to new ideas in the same project later and then to other properties as they change homes. I asked Stacy a few questions about how she achieves these long-term client relationships.

EOD: How has your design relationship evolved with a client’s different projects?

SF: Obviously, having an established working relationship and familiarity allows me to skip the formalities of getting to know the client and then I can jump right into the design process. The familiarity is wonderful and makes for a fun project. It’s like working with an old friend.

EOD: How do you accommodate the client’s changing tastes over a span of time and still allow your own accumulated professional experience to show through?

SF: Each project varies with the style of architecture, the unique qualities of the property, and the client’s needs and desires. The client’s needs may have changed over time, so assessing these elements are the same as it would be for a new project. Having more years of experience behind me and knowing the likes and dislikes of the client allows me to make assessments and design suggestions. It is a very efficient way to work on a project.

EOD: What does it take to gain the client’s confidence in order for them to continue a long-term personal and professional relationship with you?

SF: It’s actually very simple to gain the trust and confidence of a client:

1. Listen to your clients: their wants, likes, dislikes,needs and critical elements susch as time frame and budget. Respect this information.
2. Do your homework and present quality, well thought out materials and design work.
3. Most importantly, do what you say you are going to do in a professional and timely manner. Organization and communication are key to a successful relationship in every circumstance.

STACY FAUSSET studied Landscape Architecture at California State Polytechnic University and has been practicing for over twenty six years. After many years of working for other Landscape Architects, she opened her own office in Santa Barbara in 2010.