Some customers are just not the right fit for your business. They question your pricing, policies, procedures. Nothing you do for them seems to be enough. Revenue is insignificant compared to the effort expended to try to keep them happy. They’re a pain to work with and give your team members a hard time. You look the other way and accept their business because… it’s business.
An employee doesn’t fit in. They don’t understand or practice company values. They don’t care for customers the way you want them to. There’s an attitude of entitlement without accountability. You hold on because replacing them will take effort and cost money.
Letting a customer know that they’re not a good fit or terminating someone, is not fun! As a business owner it’s your responsibility but it’s easy to put off challenging tasks by justifying… “I’m too busy right now, I’ll get to it later” … “It’s not critical so it can wait” … “I want to say just the right thing, so I’ll hold off until I’ve come up with exactly the right words.”
Consider the message you are sending:
To a Customer…
- Belief that being obnoxious pays off.
- You’ll stretch and bend your business model to accommodate me.
- Belief that customers are always right, even when they’re not.
To a Team Member…
- Seeing a double standard where they’re held accountable while customers “are always right.”
- Following the rules is optional.
- Being expeditious is more important than doing it right.
- Company values don’t mean much.
- Poor performance is an option.
Slow response to problem customers and employees, costs time, money and morale. That’s not your intention and it’s not helping grow your business in a healthy way.
Which of the following keeps you from acting?
- Conflict avoidance
- Procrastination
- Believing the situation will change… things will get better.
- Change will be expensive, time-consuming, mean more work for you.
Here are 3 steps to take to avoid prolonging the pain:
- Do it now!
Act and clear up an uncomfortable situation sooner rather than later.
- Keep it simple!
The more you talk the more complicated it becomes. In the case of termination, you are likely providing data for disagreement, aggravation, discussion you really don’t want and legal action.
- Make it direct and clear!
Don’t leave room for misinterpretation.
Eliminating customers who are not your “ideal customer” or employees who are “not in the right job,” will save money and reduce stress.
Frequently heard comments from business owners, “I wish I had done it sooner” … “it’s such a relief to have them gone” … “The team seems happier now” … “Performance has improved across the board.”
Act quickly, simply and directly to eliminate those who don’t belong and are costing you money and loyalty. The message you send is that you practice and live your company values.
By: Larry Dickman- TAB Executive Coach/Facilitator