You chase after your customers, hoping to be liked so they buy your product. In your eyes they can’t do anything wrong, you bend over backwards and give freebies to these blood sucking customers of yours.
And still they complain.
They do more than just complain, they make a scene in front of other customers or yell for a “manager” for no apparent reason. You do all you can to make them happy…
And still they complain.
Their invoices aren’t paid on time, they make constant changes to their agreed upon plans and they always bemoan about being “nicked & dimed”. So you look the other way and let them slide…
And still they complain.
No matter what you do to please them there is always a problem.
Why do you put up with this?
You were taught “the customer is always right”. They pay your bills, your salary and they are your future so yes, they are always right. So what if they sometimes are loud, make a scene or harass your employees?
Does this sound like you? I hope not!
Just as you wouldn’t accept being bullied in the schoolyard or insulted by someone you just met, why would you allow a customer to come into your place of business and create a scene, especially if this happens on multiple occasions?
“But he’s a good customer; he just gets like that every once and awhile. He’ll be ok, look, he’s leaving anyway”.
I don’t believe I’m hearing this from you!
This is YOUR business. You took out loans, borrowed money from family and worked too many hours for someone to come in and treat it with disrespect, to treat you with disrespect, to treat your employees with disrespect.
You business plan didn’t account for this, nor did the topic of aggravating customers come up during your mentoring sessions with your old boss. Want to know why? Because it’s something you mustn’t deal with, not for a second.
It’s OK to “fire a customer”. It is, trust me. I have done it and I am a better man for it and my business is better for it.
You must have enough self respect that to allow a customer to disrupt your business, and one whom is apparently never happy with the product or service you provide, goes against your very being.
You make a fine product. You provide top notch service. You consistently put money back into the business with renovations and improvements. You train your employees to anticipate your customer’s needs and you sell at a fair and reasonable price. So why do you put up with this?
Here’s the plan:
- Treat yourself as the professional business owner you really are
- Don’t “chase the dollar”
- Don’t settle for anything less than your best
- Support your employees, treat them like family
- Set clearly defined expectations for those you do business with
- Be flexible in negotiations but never break
- Be willing to walk away from the bargaining table
- Keep learning your industry, keep up with the times
- Don’t take short term profits or shortcuts that detour your long term goals
- Don’t “look the other way”
- Stand tall
Your blood sucking customers only care about themselves, what they want and what they want to get out of YOU.
Keep your best efforts for the other great customers you have, the ones that appreciate what you have to offer. Nurture these relationships and keep then active.
Include some of your best customers in your advertisements, start a customer referral program with rewards, host a customer appreciation event.
Offer a behind-the-scene tour of your business and have some early bird shopping hours. When one of your customers gets a new job or promotion send them a congratulation note and offer a gift.
Stand your ground, be the best and only accept the best – even from your customers.
This is how your build raving fans…even from a once blood sucking customer!
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