With any business, retaining clients is one of the biggest priorities. Going above and beyond to make sure that every customer is satisfied is important to ensure both your company's reputation and future sales. However, there are times when you find yourself with a few customers who are taking more and more of your time and energy. Making these clients happy can use up resources (such as customer service time, email discussion times and product returns) that can be better used taking care of other customers and recruiting new clients.
There comes a time in any business when you find that you need to break up with a customer. It can be hard to know when that point comes, because getting rid of a customer goes against the whole idea of growing your business. Here are some examples of when you might find that it's time to say goodbye.
- It's not you; It's me...(but really it's you)- There are times when a client's needs grow to the point that you are sure that they need to work with a company different than yours. It may be that they need to work with a larger company who has more resources available or they need a company that is able to do things on a more personal basis. In this case, it is always better to refer them to a company you think will be a better fit for them. Trying to make your company work for them will most likely end up with both you and the client being unhappy. By setting them up with someone who can meet their needs, you are able to keep their goodwill and move on to taking care of your other customers.
- Customers who have trouble paying invoices- If you have a client who has trouble paying their invoice on a regular basis, this could end up consuming a great deal of your time. You should first contact them and see if there are ways that you can help them take care of their obligations in a more timely manner. Perhaps they have a different invoice system or there is some technical problem that can be straightened out. But, if all of this fails and you find that they just don't want to pay and try to put off paying as long as possible, it may be better to cut your losses and break up with the customer.
- Client who mistreats your staff- This is a big one. If you have a small business and you have a client who frequently harasses your employees, sometimes you have to let them go. There are people who think that by complaining loudly and being disrespectful to employees, they will get their needs met faster. This is rarely true. If everyone in your office dislikes a particular customer, if may be worth it to examine what the benefit is to keeping the client. They are certainly not going to recommend your company to others and even if they did, you may not want more clients like this one. Give your employees a break and get rid of the customer.
They say breaking up is hard to do, and when you are running a small business, it can be especially hard. Every client is important, but sometimes your time is better spent building your business rather than handling very difficult clients. Not every client is a good fit for your business. Accept this and move on. You'll be happy you did.
Have you ever had to break up with a client? Let me know in the comments.
Are you looking for a job in Business? Take a look at BusinessWorkForce.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!