Get Rid of Bad Clients

In our "Weirdest Requests" column that runs in the magazine, we sometimes include anecdotes of demanding, unstable, capricious, moody and unprofessional clients.

As someone who simply reports on the meetings industry, and does not actually plan events, I often wonder how planners deal with the less-than-perfect clients. Most planners seem to be quite skilled at remaining calm and dealing with the person in a respectable manner, but should you sever ties with a consistently bad client--the kind that don't do much more than waste your time and energy?

A recent opinion article on Forbes.com addressed this issue.

Some highlights:

● "(T)he old adage that the customer is always right is just plain wrong. Customers are not always right, and you should not always let them run all over you.

That might sound counterintuitive if your company is struggling just to scrape by in this difficult economic time, but you have to get rid of bad clients. Jackass clients, just like difficult employees, can destroy a business by destroying morale and diverting attention from growing the business. Cutting clients isn't easy, especially if they're big ones, but companies need to do it more often."

● "Keep in mind the 80-20 rule. At most companies, about 80% of the revenue comes from 20% of the clients. If you find you're spending too much time on an unproductive client, fire them. Analyze where you spend most of your time and effort. You're likely to learn that you spend the most time on the least important clients. That's because more important clients already trust you and are therefore easier to please."

● "If your employees look haggard and even the go-getters among them hesitate to take on a new project with a particular client, it's time to investigate. Sometimes an employee will leave a company because of unhappiness with day-to-day client work, rather than because of bosses or colleagues. This is especially true in service industries...where one spends more time with clients than with co-workers. It is terrible to work in an environment where the client makes your life miserable and your boss fails to back you up."

● "(L)ife is short. While we all have to put up with difficult situations and people sometimes, you can't let chronically difficult clients affect the health and well-being of your family. If your kids or significant other tell you you're especially grumpy, then think about whether a client is causing your stress, and whether that stress is worth it. Most of the time it isn't. High-paying jobs and the resulting benefits like vacation homes, jewelry and gadgets are great, but at the end of the day, always remember why you work so hard."