Why you should not be afraid to fire bad clients

I’m sorry but we can’t continue to work on this project. Please find another agency that can deliver what you require.

It’s not quite, “You’re fired!” Donald Trump-style, but it can be equally as affirming. Because sometimes, some clients, you just have to show the door, for the health of your own business.

Bad clients, where do we start? The clients that think they know more about web systems than you do and are happy to make your own delivery estimations for you; the clients that constantly find something to complain about no matter what you deliver; or the clients that feel their position as your client gives them a license to talk to your team in any manner they like, apart from politely.

Not to mention the client that never pays; or the client that is a constant drain on resources… the list is nearly as exhausting as the clients themselves! But thankfully not so when it comes to the reasons why you have to divorce them now.

To maintain resources

Bad client’s cause problems and problems take up more of your resources, so it follows that your bad clients will disproportionately take more out of your company than your good clients. This is not a value exchange that is sustainable. You only have a finite amount of resources, so if a client is beginning to become a drain on these resources for no good reason then you have to know when to save your business from becoming that client’s personal web agency.

To protect cash flow

If we’ve acknowledged that the customer is not always right, one business mantra we cannot so easily throw away is “cash flow is king”. Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business and while it is unquestionably vital to operate in a customer centric way, you have to also recognise that the №1 reason why SME’s fail is because of cash flow, or rather running out of it. If a client is continually becoming a hindrance to your cash flow, you have to ask if they are worth going out of business for — rhetorically, of course.

source: freepik.com

To boost morale

Bad clients breed hostile working relationships and us versus them mentality, which is hardly the best environment for producing your best work or nurturing your best talent. In fact, if your team is your most important asset that means they should be first in line when it comes to customer service. Standing by them over abusive or unreasonable clients builds trust, loyalty and respect and can quickly turn a bad experience into a big morale booster.

source: freepik.com

To create better professional relationships

The one good thing about bad clients is that they direct you to better clients by showing what not to accept. But this only works if you fire them and acknowledge why you had to pull the trigger. If you have to step away from a client, having tried everything in your power to create a better working relationship, then make sure you learn from the experience so that you can avoid similar problems in the future.