All customers are not created equal.
I have no doubt that you already know this.
Even so, you probably have at least one or two customers that really stand out as the worst.
You dread when they call.
Even when you do try to meet their requests, you start to feel like they are making you (or your administrative staff) jump through way too many hoops.
The reality is that these customers really do cost you quite a bit. And I’m not just talking about the headache of dealing with them.
Your time and your staff’s time is worth money, so when the worst customers start nitpicking on every little detail, your profit margin starts to tank.
I also think there is sometimes a tendency to give these customers almost whatever they want as far as concessions, just so you can shut them up. Big mistake, as this too starts to chip away at profit.
My suggestion? Get rid of them.
How do you do that? The best way is to raise your prices.
If you raise your prices and they stay, then at least they won’t be taking as big a toll on your bottom line. And if they don’t stay? Well, that’s all the better for you and your company.
Go ahead and drop your worst customer. You’ve wanted to for quite awhile, right?
Copyright 2012, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.
My dad always said that the less someone pays you, the harder they expect you to work.
Make too many concessions and you’ll end up PAYING money to keep a bad client.
Firing a client can be difficult. But it is sometimes the only way to keep your other clients serviced properly.
I’ve done this twice, and each time I could feel the weight of the world lifting off my shoulders.
The trick to not leave them high and dry – you don’t want to purposely hurt somebody’s business. Suggest an alternate vendor for their needs and make the introduction.
Not all relationships work out. Whether it’s business or personal, always act with transparency and integrity when dealing with folks and you’ll be able to look at yourself in the mirror each morning and continue to love your work.