Do You Recognize the Warning Signs of a Pain in the A__ Customer?

Not every customer is a good customer.  Most of us don’t like to admit that, but we all know it’s true. 

When your business is growing, every customer is a good customer.  But as you get more experience in doing what you do best, some customers start becoming …well, how can I put this nicely….a pain in the A_ _.

How do you know when you have a "pain in the A_ _ customer?

It’s a lot easier to identify a pain in the ass customer than you think.  The red flags are all around you, you just need to pay attention, come to terms with the signs:

• When you know it’s them calling, you cringe.  Pay attention to those gut reactions.  There is a reason you don’t like talking to them.  Take a minute and write down why you don’t like it when they call.  If you are in a company with a customer service area, spend a few hours just watching the reps on the phone.  Watch their facial expressions when they receive a call, then watch what they do during and after the call.  You’ll notice that the pain in the ass customers require some extra effort.  Look into that.  Find out if these are time wasters.
• They are always asking for something that you are not set up to do.  This is true for a lot of big-name corporations who are very system-heavy.  They run complicated systems that require a lot of resources to support.  They expect their providers to do the same.  If you’re a small specialty company that’s working with a big-name brand company, you may like the cache of having them as a customer, but everytime they want something – it takes you half the day to give it to them.  You may get a lot of top-line revenue from these giants, but track your hard and soft costs carefully and if you see that your margins aren’t there.  Having this large pain in the ass on your customer list, may not be worth it.
• They are forever complaining about price.  If your customer is complaining about price, they have no idea why they are working with you.  They don’t perceive enough value in what you’re offering.  They feel that they can do better with someone else, they just don’t want to go through the hassle of switching, so they beat up on you.  In this case, if you like this customer, then get yourself together and start understanding what’s important to them, so that you can attach the right value to your offering and they can understand why you are the best choice. 

I’ve heard people say "You can’t like everyone you work with.  You just have to put up with difficult customers."  I say "No WAY."

A bad customer is like a slow continuous leak of profit dollars that might be better spent on serving a customer that actually values your offering.

Bad customers are expensive.  Bad customers are no fun.  Bad customers don’t like you and you don’t like them.  Bad customers just aren’t worth the trouble.  Free yourself and your business of these bad customers and suddenly your business will not only be a lot more fun, but will probaby grow and become more profitable.

Just one parting thought on this topic.  Every pain in the ass customer you are currently struggling with is taking up a space that can be held by a customer you love that loves you back.