While it is important to be flexible and work with all types of personalities, some people are just difficult. Either they can’t be pleased or they cause problems through things like not paying their bills on time, always being contrary or even verbally abusing you or your staff.
If you have a difficult client, you might be uncertain on how to best handle the situation. Here are some tips to help you decide if you should work it out or walk away.
For starters, evaluate each situation individually. Is this client really difficult or just having a bad day? Are they facing a particularly stressful situation or is their behavior indicative of their overall personality. If they are just having a bad day then let it slide and move on. If they are always unpleasant, however, you need to look at the situation more closely.
Will other business connections suffer if you walk away? This is an important question to consider before ending a business relationship. If they have important business or community ties you need to tread carefully. You don’t want to hurt your business over a single client when you might gain valuable connections through your association.
Another question you need to answer is how much revenue might be lost. You can weigh the inconvenience of dealing with a difficult client against the revenue they generate. If you can easily make up the loss, then move on. If you would be hard pressed to replicate that revenue, then you will have to think hard about walking away.
All of business revolves around relationships, which is why it is important to build strong ones with your clients. But, one of the benefits of being in business for yourself is the ability to control your working situation. Only you know if a difficult client is worth the problems and stress they cause, so evaluate and make the best decision for your unique situation!