Fire Problem Clients Fast
Unlike red wine problem clients, and staff for that matter, don’t get better with time. I have learnt from expensive experience it pays to fire fast and hire slow where staff are concerned.
After all, when you hesitate to fire problem staff, it sends a very bad message to the rest of them. That is, you will tolerate their “poor” behaviour, believe it or not, your “good staff” knew you should have fired them anyway and were most probably miffed by your idle response.
So firing problem staff sends a VERY POWERFUL message to the rest. In a sense you could even advocate firing someone every six months whether you needed to or not just to keep the rest of them on their toes!
It is called the “Sacrifice Principle”.
Anyway, back to why you shouldn’t keep crappy customers or clients…
Firstly I believe they should be surgically removed. As far as I know the Crudd government hasn’t passed a law that says you can’t fire them… yet. Or, that you can’t pick and choose who you do business with.
Apart from the obvious reason that these types of clients are a pain in the butt, there is an economic reason that is all about the only reason we are in business… PROFIT. The truth is when they suck up an inordinate amount of your time and your staff’s time, it costs you too much money, when if you are any good at marketing the vacuum will fill with better ones.
That’s why it drives me NUTS when people make excuses for not doing the marketing, when it’s the highest paying job on the planet.
So in effect it’s about gross profit versus nett profit. Good clients produce a higher nett profit for you. And I believe it’s better to upset them now than have them stay as clients.
I remember shocking a bunch of my coaching clients in a seminar a few years ago after they had crapped me off with their pissing and moaning. From the front of the stage I pointed to the green exit signs all around the room and told them to use them. And while they were at it, “to follow the green signs to the airport as well”. No one actually moved, but they knew I meant business. If they didn’t pull their heads in I was going to show them to the exits.
Anyway, hope it never comes to this for you but it does send a very powerful message to client and employee alike and besides, after all, there is no law against you designing the life you want. Not the life clients and employees would have you want.
All the best,
Mal Emery
Committed to Elevating the Financial Wealth and Wellbeing of Society
Through Entrepreneurial Excellence and Guilty of Conspiracy to Create Capitalism
P.S. If you’ve missed any of my previous Rants, I have them all available
for you to see on my website.
Simply go to www.rebelliousrant.com and enjoy!
6 Comments
RODNEY,sunshinecoast,queensland ,australia,downunder.. on February 1st, 2010
Greetings Mal and staff how are you all ? ,
(From my view point on disrespectfull staff):
Well if your paying their wages and they are bloodging ,pissing and moaning and your production falls and “worse still your recieve less or no respect ? ,then i too say “Theres the door”.,you crossed the line…
Its all the better if your staff perform to standards on a consistant basiss, but if there not respectful of ? , and too you ?, being there director or ( boss ? ), ‘then they are wasting your “life” and valuable energy by “goofing off” each day and your simply setting yourself up for another “repeat disaster” ( beit financial or reputation wise ?) which is just common sense from my outside view point.
But thats the whole thing here,if you have allowed your self to become complasent and lazy at the cost of your own charactor? ( “which obviously by now Mal you have not” & “besides you have “more cash” than “i” ,he,he ), or for better placed words simply put,for being “likable”? Then
you have simply set up the battle feild against your own kind to be slaugtered , and your business will perrish.
“Business is war” and weak leaders will die”,its that simple, but “fortunatly in a sense that allows you to be “reborn back” to battle “again if you desire”,unlike the battle fields of war its self..( So “im with you leuitennant emery sir”)
“Keep your freind your freinds period”.
Your in business for yourself for “your” reasons
‘first’ and that means you desire “much more” by taking “bold risks above the norms”.its just
counter intemtional if your “bullshirting” yourself and expecting to come out a winner period. ( you’ll be dead in your boots quick)
You would not take a “knife to a rifle war “now would you” ? ( if you said yes ? your eigther very bloody good ? or a fool !).
Allow your “staff to prosper and grow” and be expressive and creative, or they will stiffle and wilt and “become bored ,lazy and resentfull and “(shoot you in the back)”…thats when you find “(you”have already just shot yourself in the foot”),not productive because of your un-willing to be “bold and apply a degree of hardness from your business law rules “from day one” recruitment entry level staff employee member code’).
“KEEP YOUR STAFF CLOSE , KEEP YOUR OPPOSITION CLOSER”..
A GOOD SOLDIER KNOWS HIS PLACE AND WORTH BECAUSE
AN EVEN “BETTER SENIOR RANKED OFFICER “KEEPS HIM THERE” AND TELLS “HIM SO ( praise & grattitude from “earned value from prior engagements”when it counted ).
If your “staffed soldiers get out of line” ? , take ‘away there privaleges’ beit there “job”, because “I for one would never go to war with armed insubordinates and risk freindly fire from behind because my own soldiers got “a little battle fatigued” ,when i have enough of a battle infront of me already..( BUT THATS JUST ME & ive been called all sorts ! oh well ! )..
WHILE IM HERE MAL OL MATE ,I read over your good
story about the “rabbit hunt”,with the lion,the donkey & the fox.
simarly this same applies,its another glorified fairytale metafore of SUN-TZU , AND I AGREE TOO.
Thats enough of my gab,
kind reguards.
have an outstanding day / night.
sincerely.
Rodney.
Luana on February 2nd, 2010
Love it. I am currently going through my list of clients and firing a whole heaps of time wasters. One thing I have forgotten about is looking after my good clients. You take it for granted until they disappear. Thanks for the rant. It’s always good to be reminded.
Peter on February 2nd, 2010
Thanks Mal
Yes I’ve duped clients and it’s a great relief.
Reds on February 3rd, 2010
I hold a long term belief that in my industry,you not only know how to make and break sales records consistently but are a true consumate pro when you know which jobs to not quote on….Well unless its bloody ridiculuous. And you dont walk away from those you R U N and fast-they can waste your valuable rescources.Like Pete above ita good feeling
Atalanta on February 7th, 2010
Hey Mal,
Interesting article. I recently had a client perceive me as disinterested of them in public and so decided not to continue with me. The background is that they had been a chronic time-waster client. We finally booked a skype coaching session. Then I bumped into her at a social event and she wanted to change her appointment to the next day face to face…I guess I was not enthusiastic enough – she cancelled the whole program the next day…thank goodness…troublesome clients are not what I want…
2 lessons – go with my gut when it indicates that a client is going to be problematic and suggest they find someone else to work with…and second – be friendly when waylaid in public by a client but ask that they call me to discuss changes as I don’t have my appointment book when I am out socially…
Wonderful!
Rob Johnson on February 1st, 2010
Nice Rant ! Yes, it feels so good to “refer” a time-sink client to a competitor. Lost time is something you can’t make up.