I recently overheard a conversation between neighbors chatting about a local mechanic's shop. The people were complaining about how this particular local mechanic tried to upsell them on additional services and charged them $100 just to turn off their engine light without even fixing the issue. It seems that this mechanic is known in the area for this type of "customer service". Another person chimed in to the conversation and mentioned a competitive mechanic not two miles away that actually told them they didn't need a repair that they went in for. And didn't charge them anything for looking at the car and giving a diagnostic review. This got me thinking about how agencies treat customers. Is your agency the type that will gladly take your money without analyzing the necessity of the project? Or, does your agency take the time to look at your situation and suggest a new, more effective solution, even if it means working on a less lucrative project? A client-agency relationship should be about a long-term relationship, not about one-and-done projects. Sometimes, deadlines or compliance predicate a certain deliverable, but generally there is some room for exploring other options. Effective agencies will get "under the hood" and see how your marketing engine is running.