Owner of myMEdiaCharge
Virtual Marketing Services
Firstly, to anyone reading this who is struggling in this bleak marketplace, I apologize in advance if this post offends. Nothing could be further from by intent. Neither do I wish to give the impression that I am not grateful for every single one of my clients, I am.
In an economy where every penny counts and where any business that remains open should thank their lucky stars, I find myself asking a very odd question. Is it time to fire my client? In asking around, I not only found that I’m not the only one pondering this but that business owners everywhere are firing their clients at an alarming rate.
Long ago, in a land far far away…or so it seems, there was a business relationship where mutual respect and trust between a business and it’s customers was common. Where unspoken understandings and agreements existed with your loyal customers. A certain caliber of service was given without the client having to ask for it and intern, the client reciprocated with his or her loyalty and continued patronage.
That was a good story wasn’t it kids? The sad part is, it’s true. This isn’t your Grandma’s marketplace anymore.
There is a fierceness among not only shop owners but among buyers as well. They won’t pay you $20 for something that they feel they can get elsewhere for $10. and even though their hard earned $10 will most likely have to be spent twice because they purchased a substandard product or service, that same customer will never consider coming back to you as they don’t wish to be reminded that they wasted their money elsewhere and ended up feeling foolish because they made a dumb decision. It’s a lose lose situation and all logic often goes out the window.
The clients of today seem to expect the world from a business and while I agree that a business should ALWAYS over deliver to it’s clientele, they sometimes desire to pay very little if anything at all for all of the extra things that they request from a business. A doo dad here, a widget there, 1/2 an hours labor here, a freebie there. Most clients are grateful and do business with you because they know how hard you work for them to maintain a good and mutually beneficial relationship. But then there is that other kind of client, the one who it’s almost impossible to do a favor for because God forbid you don’t do it for free again! You then become known as selfish or greedy. As a business owner you are made to feel like a crack dealer who gives out the first sample for free. Then, because they like what you have and come back are resentful that you are asking to be paid for it. The perks of the past that we adorned clients with are now expected and demanded. When did the tables turn in a fashion that makes the business owner the bad guy just because we want to give a little extra once in a while?
Therein lies the problem. When a client just won’t relent in their expectations of paying next to nothing for all that you do, and starts to negatively effect your reputation, do you cut them loose?
In an article in Entrepreneur Magazine it is stated that “Difficult clients can sap your energy. It’s exhausting and possibly even annoying to deal with them. Your workplace becomes less desirable, too — making it harder to keep good employees on the payroll. Then, you may simply lose the drive to find new business as you run around trying to meet your hell-client’s impossible demands.
You may think you need the business, but the reality is as soon as you give a nightmare client the heave-ho, you’ll probably find twice as much work elsewhere. The negativity a bad client puts into your life tends to keep you from finding quality clients.”
Business Week Magazine says that “Yes, breaking up may be hard to do, but when a client is costing you money or making you crazy, it can be a smart move. Severing unprofitable or exhausting relationships can, after the initial fallout, boost your company’s revenues. Debra Brede an investment adviser and owner of five-person D.K. Brede Investment Management in Needham, Mass.,cut the cord with about a dozen of her 650 clients between late 2005 and early 2006, freeing her to devote more time to bringing in new business. Profits rose 25% last year, compared with about 9.5% in each of the past few years.
At the end of the day, the boundaries of the business/customer relationship fall squarely on the shoulders of the business itself. We must sometimes draw hard lines and detail exactly what services we will deliver and at what rate and frequency. This will eliminate any confusion on either side. Going outside of these guidelines will surely set a bad precedence and allow your client to engage in some nasty habits that you taught them. We must also learn to say “No”. Even when our heart wishes to do otherwise.
Please let me know with a comment if you have shared this experience or completely disagree. All feedback is welcome.
