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Have you ever fired a client??

I would love to hear your war stories.

I have a client who I feel is just slapping me around for no reason, treating me very disrespectfully. Although I want the business, I do not feel like I need to put up with the way this person treats me-- like a dog. As a Realtor, I need all the business I can get, but I am thinking I need to pull a Donald Trump and say, "You're Fired!"

Have you ever walked away from a client?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jon D. Speer on March 30, 2008 at 12:04am: Michelle,
Yes, I walked away from one client a few months back. We performed an assessment for the client to identify their needs and plan for additional work products. We wrote a report and submitted it to the client. The client then called at least three different times to discuss and dispute our findings. With the report, we provided a plan and timeline for additional support. The client was not satisfied with our recommendations.
I decided to walk away. The client's behavior was the best it was ever going to be, and it was not fun. Everything we did was nitpicked and scrutinized.
j; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michelle Morris on March 30, 2008 at 8:46am: I'm glad you stood up for yourself!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michelle Morris on March 30, 2008 at 10:06am: It is just different things. They contacted me about their home, but act like I am the lowest thing on Earth if I dare to contact them. They talk about "realtors" as if we are the scum of the earth, but they came to me in the first place?!?! I just don't understand.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Erik Deckers on March 30, 2008 at 10:09pm: I had one customer who was actually rude to my wife (we were working together in the family business). I called up, told the guy off, and said we weren't selling to him anymore because of the way he had behaved. He called my wife back, sucked up big time, and apologized profusely, so we took him back. We ended up dropping him again several months later, but for entirely different reasons.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Doug Theis on March 31, 2008 at 7:53am: I have fired around a dozen clients over the years. Here's my thinking on the subject:

Stephen Covey's fourth habit is "Think Win/Win." Expanded, he talks about "agree with a client to win/win or no deal." Reasonable people are eager to accept these terms. Unreasonable people want or expect lose/win (martyrdom) or win/lose(cheating). Leopards don't often change their spots, so if you catch a person acting unreasonably in a business relationship, it's logical to expect more of the same. Save yourself the grief. Either fire them or de-prioritze the work you do for them as they have done for you. Remember that you control that space between their stimulus and your response.

On the flip side, I can tell you from personal experience that there are times in sales when it felt like someone was treating me poorly and it was just because they weren't responding to me in my time frame, or they were just too busy with other issues. Try to walk a mile in their shoes before you fire them. Sleep on it. Get advice from a trusted colleague. We sales folks are easily caught up in the moment, and I know that many times my perceptions of ill behavior on a client's part were only my perceptions and not reality.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Bob Hettel on March 31, 2008 at 4:05pm: I agree completely with Doug - the best relationships are win/win based.

I've been in situations were letting a client go actually freed up resources to focus on other prospects and clients which in the end turned out to be far more beneficial in the long run.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Arnold on March 31, 2008 at 3:51pm: Michelle, think of this more than just from the business/financial end. What does working with this client do to your energy? Your job satisfaction? Your energy to pursue and serve truly good clients?

We tend to get more of the types of clients we take, good or bad. I agree with Doug...it's gotta be win/win.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michelle Morris on March 31, 2008 at 10:09pm: Jonathan, that's a great way to think of it, thank you for the encouragement I needed!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kenny Johnson on April 14, 2008 at 7:31am: Michelle, I walked away from refinancing a good friend in January. He had a very difficult situation and I got around every problem. As he became more resistant to completing the transaction, I said, I value our friendship more than this deal so perhaps you should take your loan elsewhere. He offered to pay us a fee for all our work and I said, no you owe me nothing because I didn't deliver a new loan. We're still friends.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michelle Morris on April 14, 2008 at 11:34am: I guess sometimes it is more important to keep a friendship than to make money. Choose your battles, I suppose.; ▶ Reply to This

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