When It's Time To Say Goodbye To That Client

It's not me, it's you: Though it can be painful, sometimes, a business owner needs to break up with a customer. We have all had them. The customer you thought was going to be a great “cash cow” for your business only to have them drag your business down or demand every little thing to the point you were having to give every waking minute to them and your other clients winds up suffering also from lack of attention. Your resources are at their limit. Then the payments became a week late, two weeks, a month late and then the final month it never came. Then you realize, it is time to say good bye.

Letting go of customers is something most small business owners do at some point. Sometimes the survival of the business could be at stake, or it may be a client who cannot be satisfied and becomes an emotional drain on everyone. Even if it's a big account, it may not be worth the risk of your unhappy staff or employees wanting to quit your own business due to the stress this all causes.
The good news is that there are more wonderful clients and customers out there who need your products or services and letting these “whiners” go may just be the right thing to do and it will make everyone happy and move forward. It really is OK to cut the ties. You may not realize it but it most circumstances, it is not you it really is them. Some customers want you to kiss their feet and something else for that monthly check they pay you or that invoice you hand them. They are few are far between but sadly, they are out there.

Many times, the problem is a frustrating customer. You know the kind. You do the work only to be repeatedly told to redo it, it is not right, blah, blah, blah. Eventually, you need to recognize that your employees' satisfaction and well-being are more important in the long term than investing in a futile relationship. Now the lessons learned from that picky customer.

They often can point out weaknesses to you in a way from which your business can grow and get better.  Owners who want to drop some clients also worry about negative reviews online.  It happens. Just move on. You can not please everyone, no matter what you do. An example. Let’s say a staffer was in a car accident en route to a job, and her replacement couldn't arrive until three hours later. The angry business client demanded that the cleaning service promise it would never happen again. The cleaning service company promises they are going to make every effort, but if something out of our control happens, they simply can’t do that they tell the customer. So the customer decides to find another cleaning service. What are you going to do? Some people can’t be happy.

An impossible-to-please customer can be referred to a business that will make them happy. The job satisfaction of your staff is very important. Without great caregivers, who are hard to come by, it is difficult to provide only the best care for our clients.
​
The old saying that there is always a bad apple in the barrel is also true in clients and customers. You cannot win them all. Do your best to make the customer happy within reason but do not think the world will come to an end if you can’t. Take your losses, don’t worry about that one bad review or they will tell everyone how terrible you are. Your staff, your other good customers and your well being are much more important.
-Roy

---

​Tags: #business #customers #customer relations #staff moral