Dear "customer"- you're fired!

Everyone has difficult customers. Everyone has bad days where the next customer that asks for “that book, the new one, I think’s it’s red” is going to make you scream.  Everyone has transactions that are just one problem after another.

This is not about those customers.  Nor is it about the looky-loos that never buy anything. They aren’t customers at all.

customer your fired!This is about people who you’re better off not taking their money at all.  In down times it’s often tempting to hang onto anyone that gives you money… but these customers are such trouble that they end up COSTING you more than you make from them. You’re afraid to say anything about their bad behavior because of the fear of losing them.  They chew up time that you could be spending on other more productive parts of your business, they scare other customers, or they make your staff quit so you have to train new ones.  So if you call them on the bad behavior and they leave, it’s actually a win for you!

How can you tell if a customer should be fired, rather than that are just difficult?

Keep in mind, this is a PATTERN, not a single day.  You can have bad days with good customers.  You can  have difficult customers that are worth the time and effort to satisfy them. There are GOOD DAYS with that customer. It’s not overwhelmingly bad. The key with bad customers is that they are such a drain on you that they take more than they give back in business.

Sometimes simply telling people you aren’t putting up with this behavior may mean they change it and will stick around anyway… but be easier to deal with. They may just need a firm “no” to get them to stop the behavior that’s making them such a drain.  Sometimes it means they take their business elsewhere.  But for truly odious individuals, they may have already exhausted other businesses that will put up with this behavior. You may be the last remaining sucker that puts up with them.

Do you recognize these people?

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