I fired a customer today

[Expensive Date]

It felt really good.I think Chris said something a while back concerning this he is right problem customers cost you money

[Dude! Sweet!]

I tried to fire one yesterday, but got overruled! That makes smile to hear that you stepped up in the current economy. Nice to see that not everyone's bending over and taking it... :sifone:

[Big Time]

When I first got out of school and started working for a private investment firm I quickly learned the 80/20 rule...80% of our revenue came from 20% of out clients. We decided to concentrate more on that 20% that was actaully generating revenue's. It worked out for my guy, but I also quickly learned that I didn't want to work on the private investment side and made the switch over to the institutional side. Like it better on this side of the fence.

[Airpacker]

I took some small business courses a decade or so ago and one thing the instructor said that has stuck with me ever since is this.

" Why waste 50% of your efforts on 1% of your customers who at most only create 5% of your income"? "Fire them immediately, redirect the 50% of your efforts and never regret it".

[DollaBill]

After being in the boat biz 15 years I have a saying that I tried to teach all my employees'.

"The customer is always wrong (at least 99% of the time)"

I either trained the customers to listen and learn or go somewhere else. The problem ones are only losing deal.

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

It is funny how that works sometimes. I have had others pass on PITA customers to me. Come to find out some of them turn out to be great customers. If they want special treatment I will give it to them.

I had an old man tell me one time." Don't get upset at the customer wanting more. Smile and Charge um."

[Dude! Sweet!]

I was talking to someone recently that got two bids from two different service providers. Porvider 1 offered to do about 60% of what provider 2 offered to do and the fee difference was something like P1 quoted $65k, P2 quoted $110k. Knowing they wanted to get 100% rather than the 60% I asked if I could beat P2's price would they do business with us. They responded with a polite no and candidly told me that what they'd decided to do was make P2 do 100% of the work at P1's fee...

[Offshoredrillin]

It is funny how that works sometimes. I have had others pass on PITA customers to me. Come to find out some of them turn out to be great customers. If they want special treatment I will give it to them.

I had an old man tell me one time." Don't get upset at the customer wanting more. Smile and Charge um."
I agree, however the problem ones are usually the cheapest...I learned a long time ago that "not all business is good business"

[RebarBox]

I'm assuming most of you live in a larger community?? Being from a small, tight nit community - I could never 'Fire' a customer. First off, being bonded ties me to most jobs but still word of mouth could bury my (construction) business. If I can't make them happy - I will provide written industry standards to back my point. I still believe that the customer is always right, EVEN IF THEY'RE WRONG.

[Expensive Date]

For those of you that don't know I am in the mobile tool business.And I have bent over backwards for this customer as in all my customers.Prof of that Is I have been doing this for 16 years for those not familiar with what I do thats a long time in my industry.
Any way it was never enough and they wanted everything discounted and then 90 day 0 % billing you can have one or the other not both.And they had a huge attitude because there scanner broke because they loaded the software incorrectly.I can't wait till the realize the are now screwed for warranty because I am under the old Matco contract I own my territory another dealer can not set foot in it with out my permission

[augie58]

It is funny how that works sometimes. I have had others pass on PITA customers to me. Come to find out some of them turn out to be great customers. If they want special treatment I will give it to them.

I had an old man tell me one time." Don't get upset at the customer wanting more. Smile and Charge um."


Sometimes after someone else they are better behaved at the next provider.

[RebarBox]

For those of you that don't know I am in the mobile tool business.And I have bent over backwards for this customer as in all my customers.Prof of that Is I have been doing this for 16 years for those not familiar with what I do thats a long time in my industry.
Any way it was never enough and they wanted everything discounted and then 90 day 0 % billing you can have one or the other not both.And they had a huge attitude because there scanner broke because they loaded the software incorrectly.I can't wait till the realize the are now screwed for warranty because I am under the old Matco contract I own my territory another dealer can not set foot in it with out my permission

We all know our business or would be 'out of business' very soon. You have to do what you feel is right.

[Offshoredrillin]

I'm assuming most of you live in a larger community?? Being from a small, tight nit community - I could never 'Fire' a customer. First off, being bonded ties me to most jobs but still word of mouth could bury my (construction) business. If I can't make them happy - I will provide written industry standards to back my point. I still believe that the customer is always right, EVEN IF THEY'RE WRONG.
I don't totally disagree, however there reaches a point where you have to look at them and just say that I cant do anything else and we are going to have to end it here. I have worked on near 30,000 cars doing my film, I have had 2 customers I couldn't please, and 2 more that I told them I don't think I can do what your asking so I respectfully decline.

[BUIZILLA]

2% of the customer's cause 98% of the noise...

[tunnelvision69]

we've been getting a few canadian customers lately that think we owe them something, doesn't get very far with us honkies though!!

[pullmytrigger]

Oh Ive fired a few.......
The thing I usually get is once you touch a piece of equipment of theirs they think you own it and you should fix it for basically free for the rest of your life.......ahhhhh.....no

against my better judgement one day I went to check out the furnace of a guy who worked at a commercial food processing plant that I do the refrigeration at.......so I go fix the thing, then like 3 wks later he calls me back about an unrelated noise the thing was making.....I go back and fix it and he freaks out when I hand him a bill (see above type of person).....I got up into his face and told him to pay up.......he did
The next time I go to the plant he works at a bunch of people come up to me and tell me how glad they are are that I stuck it to that cheap p rick......haha

and dont get me going on the payment habits of various nationalities of people.......I can do a stand up routine on it

[phragle]

I don't have the luxury of firing 'customers' I have to deal with all of them..even the whiney snively hypochondriacs with whom you can do nothing right. You have to to bite your lip when you really want to say "suck it up sister, you CAN get out of bed on your own..if there was a double cheeseburger and chocolate cake on the other side of the room your ass would be running and pain free"

[Offshoredrillin]

I don't have the luxury of firing 'customers' I have to deal with all of them..even the whiney snively hypochondriacs with whom you can do nothing right. You have to to bite your lip when you really want to say "suck it up sister, you CAN get out of bed on your own..if there was a double cheeseburger and chocolate cake on the other side of the room your ass would be running and pain free"
havent you watched "House"...:D

[MarylandMark]

Ah- I love working for a monopoly. You don't like us; we don't care....

[Magic Medicine]

we've been getting a few canadian customers lately that think we owe them something, doesn't get very far with us honkies though!!

:rofl::rofl:

[catastrophe]

I don't have the luxury of firing 'customers' I have to deal with all of them..even the whiney snively hypochondriacs with whom you can do nothing right. You have to to bite your lip when you really want to say "suck it up sister, you CAN get out of bed on your own..if there was a double cheeseburger and chocolate cake on the other side of the room your ass would be running and pain free"

LOL Post of the month:):)

[ChiefApache]

Rob and I have fired two customers over the course of 4 years. When they start to cost you money and all your time and energy are spent on them, it's exhausting and not worth it when you've done everything to try and make them happy.

We have no regrets firing the customers we did.

[Davidmnc]

Customer service is paramount in the RV industry. But you can't please every one all the time that's for sure. But there are very few things worse than the topic of conversation around a camp fire being that SOB that sold me this thing. Those wounds are deep and hard to heal. So you do what you have to do.

[Knot 4 Me]

I worked at a restaurant for 6 years during high school and college. My old boss (RIP) would escort customers out all the time and ask them not to return...would even tell them their last meal there was on him. We had it all from people that would order the most expensive steak on the menu and eat over half of it before telling us it was not properly cooked and they wanted a new one to old ladies filling their purses with silverware from their table and chicken breasts from the buffet. We even had a guy that would come in every Sunday and sit at the bar and drink beer all day but would never leave to use the restroom. He would just pi$$ himself. For awhile it was fun to ask the new busboys to clean up the "spilled drink" under the old man at the bar. They would come back yelling, "that wasn't beer!". We'd just laugh and say, "sure it was...recycled beer!".

[txriverrat2001]

Mercedes during the day - Offshore boats at night - I've had my share, beleive me.

[Tony]

I'm assuming most of you live in a larger community?? Being from a small, tight nit community - I could never 'Fire' a customer. First off, being bonded ties me to most jobs but still word of mouth could bury my (construction) business. If I can't make them happy - I will provide written industry standards to back my point. I still believe that the customer is always right, EVEN IF THEY'RE WRONG.

Chad I'm in the same position and the customers always right dealio taught me a pricey lesson, they are right, up to the point to where they dont want to pay becase you desperately tried to talk them out of what they thought they wanted and even signed the goddamned papers but at the end of the day you still arent paid. I have fun when the big name out of town GC's move in and try to blow smoke and strong arm the little guy.

...Did I mention that my favorite game is: I WIN. ;)

[cosmic12]

Oh do I know the problem:banghead: Been there got lots of t-shirts.
What I could never understand in that bis is the fact that most, not all never get the fact that what you are doing for them isn't a God given right but a privlage that can be taken away at any time.
Tim I don't miss it at all.
Good for you and remember it the next time one of those bone heads demands something unrealistic.