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Fire That Customer By Joe Guertin, The Streetfighter Sales Coach His car dealership was my biggest advertiser. He was kind of loud, but spent a lot of money, and wasn't too tough to work with (for me, anyway).

His car dealership was my biggest advertiser. He was kind of loud, but spent a lot of money, and wasn't too tough to work with (for me, anyway).

So why was I going over there to fire him as a customer? There were a couple of reasons that included ad content, aging invoices and had a penchant for demeaning our support staff on the phone. It's not a pleasant experience at all, and not one I'd wish on you. Sooner or later, though, you may come face-to-face with that dilemma: put up with a nasty customer because they pay the bills, or give up the cash and fire them.

But, before you throw that account overboard, consider these points:

Document Everything

Talk extensively with all parties concerned, but make sure you separate facts from feelings. In the heat of battle, anyone can paint a troublesome client to be worse than they are! Keep written, ongoing records of any disputes or discrepancies. Hollow accusations are meaningless, and you could even set yourself up for legal action.

Personalities Aside

Speaking of feelings, check yours at the door! Don't let your passion for your paper become a major deciding factor. I may not like someone, or they may not like me, but that's when it's time to shuffle the deck and pass that client along to someone else for a fresh start.

Weigh the Pros and Cons

Naturally, we exhaust all other possibilities before 'pulling the plug' on a paying customer! The decision requires careful consideration. Take time to research and examine both sides of the story¡­including theirs.

Are They Profitable?

Sometimes we assume that, because they're a cash customer, we take a lot of guff. But spending money is not enough. One paper had a customer who they signed at a very cut-rate rate, then found themselves devoting a tremendous amount of time and people to maintaining and servicing the account. When they finally did an analysis, they found that it actually cost them money to have the account. Not a good situation. While this point, alone, is not enough to cut a customer, it is a factor.

I'm one of those people who believe that just about any situation can be fixed by having a meeting of the minds. Most of the time, that is. We fired the car dealer with a lot of diplomacy. We discussed our differences, and even made alternate recommendations to them. They were able to save face, we gave up their business, and my entire staff was thrilled.