Do you believe it's okay to fire a customer?
It’s OK to “fire a customer”. You must have enough self-respect that to allow a customer to disrupt your business, and one who is apparently never happy with the product or service you provide, goes against your very being. Do you agree?
360 Comments
Answers (31-40)
Yes! Before even starting a job - at the stage of discussing the terms and conditions.
Absolutely! The best thing I can do to serve a client is to be honest about whether we are going to work well together. If I am not a fit, I do my best to refer them to a colleague that is a better choice. I never leave them high and dry.
Yes, I absolutely do believe that! If a customer does not follow the simple rule “Treat the people around you the way you want to be treated” then this customer needs to leave our environment (surrounding etc). The Universe will help us fill up the “gap” a.k.a bring us the right customers who do deserve our service.
I see no problem with "trimming the fat" so to speak. If you don't feel like you are making any progress with a customer, let them go and move on to the next. There are way too many opportunities to be wasting your time trying to please the unpleasable. You should always be reaching out to new prospects, so you can just replace the old with the new. We are building long-lasting partnerships, and if a customer is continuously problematic then they are not going to be long-lasting anyway.
YES! I must protect the integrity of my business and employees. A customer that is toxic is not welcome. He or she will infect other customers as well as employees. Any inaction on my part promotes complicity. I don't care if it's sexual harassment or verbal abuse. It cannot be tolerated! I have a Christian attitude and life, turning the other cheek doesn't mean they can kick my cheeks. I must protect my customers and employees at all times. So yes, I can, will and have fired customers.
Absolutely! If I have worked with someone that is difficult, I consider it a challenge and I am fine with that, however, there are those very rare times that a client comes along that is abusive and lies and continues to try and take advantage-That is the time to refer them elsewhere. As an artist, I cannot afford the mental stress of overcoming this and still creating a beautiful portrait.
I always will try to work with a difficult client and exceed all expectations. This usually works-but when it does not, It is time to fire them for the future.
I agree 100%... Look at the revenue generated by the customer verses the resources and time used to satisfy the customer and determine if the CAP is worth the ROI.
If not, why be concerned if they remain a customer, focus on providing the best product and service you can.
And invest your time with those that appreciate your time and efforts!
In firing a customer you can save time and trouble in your business simply by reducing the headaches and sleepless nights. I can normally tell if a customer is going to be a problem with 5 minutes of telephone conversation when they try to impress me with their knowledge of my process based upon internet information. Recently I have fired customers that try to indicate that the internet provides more information than my 50 years experience in the field. Its easy to want each customer, but some people are not a good fit for the skills you bring to the project table.
Yes. I have had to let a few students/clients go. Ones that either did not put the necessary time in to practice or who continually cancelled lessons (with or without payment made in advance); one who had some health issues who I told I could not continue to work with until she had seen a doctor; and another who had violated my trust. In all cases (and they have been rare over 20 years of teaching), it's a matter of not being a good fit for each other, in one way or another.
Absolutely and under the right circumstances, you'd be foolish not to do so. I think the more important question is how do you do it? In my case, I charge planning fees or retainer fees as I'm a fee-only financial advisor. If I have a client who becomes a problem over a period of time, and I don't mean that all of a sudden I reached a point where their fees are too small, I need to find a way to let them go. The best way to do this is to tell tell them the amount of work required to maintain the relationship has become excessive and you have to increase your fee 3 to 5 times to continue the working relationship. I can't imagine a client who would except this level of increase, but I think it's a rather polite way to move your business forward.