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Bad Customers? Fire Them!

Bad Customers? Fire Them!

A lot of business owners are so happy to have customers that they are willing to take the bad ones as well as the good. After all, even a bad customer is better than no customers … Right?

The truth is that a bad customer can be doing your business more harm than good. For example, how about the customer who you always have to chase for a payment? Who never seems satisfied? Who you have to bend over backwards for every time you want to make a sale? How much do you think you spend of your time and money trying to hang onto those customers?

The thought of turning away business, especially if you are just starting out, can be daunting, but keeping them could have a negative impact on your business in the long run. They can eat up the time you need to focus on your great customers or pursuing promising leads. If you are always having to jump through hoops to make them happy, they probably aren’t telling people how great you are, which means they are not going to be one of your valued customers. It’s time to tell them goodbye and move on.

Have the difficult conversation

Once you identify who your bad customers are, you will want to find the right way to tell them that it’s time for your relationship to end. It can be a difficult conversation to have when you need to break up with a customer.

The best way is really the simplest. It’s the old “It’s not you, it’s me” approach. Admit to the customer that you just cannot meet their needs anymore. Thank them for their past business and let them go. If you have a competitor that may be able to work with that customer, then offer their name as a suggestion. Sit down and make a short script of what to say when you need to let go of a bad customer and it will make it easier to do whenever you encounter one.

When you finally release those bad customers, you will be amazed at all of the time and energy you have to take care of your good customers. Develop those relationships and spend more time focusing on obtaining those valuable customers who will make a positive impact on your business and your bottom line.

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