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Message
Personally, nothing is quite as satisfying as purging a really bad customer.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 1:48 pm
Posted on 4/11/16 at 1:48 pm
I received an angry call from a new client. He screamed at me for ten solid minutes while I smiled to my wife and daughter who were listening in. Literally, nothing he said had any factual basis. None. Zero. Almost like he had a brain injury. I pride myself on being thorough and helpful. It was as if we had never had an earlier conversation, as he had "forgotten" the relevant details of entire transaction.
He questioned the terms. The pricing. The payment method. My motives. Everything we had contractually agreed to and signed our names to. Airtight-stuff that was agreed to and delivered by both parties.
He would not let me explain a single thing about our contract. He was completely ignorant to the entirety of the transaction. And polite rebuttals were shouted down. When he ran out of energy I asked him if he was done. He said yes, I thanked him and hung up.
I asked Mrs Pimp what she thought that was about the conversation. I never get complaints-she knows that. It's been maybe three years since I even had a minor complaint or revision. She said he probably regretted the transaction, got concerned about the cost, and was doing like a "shock and awe" style attack where you question every aspect of the transaction, no matter how silly or implausible. And that that is how some people (thankfully the rare few) conduct business. If they change their minds, you have to be "at fault" and they have to be hysterical and irrational and make claims and demands that defy logic as practiced on Planet Earth. It's just their Modus operandi of negotiating their way out of the deal. Which in my line of work, is automatic anyhow. They want out, it's just polite and procedural. Either that or this guy was drunk and having a really severe bi-polar episode.
Anyhow, I will just give him a full refund, and thank God there aren't more assholes like that. Do any of you guys also enjoy purging your most irrational and ugly customers ? To me, it kind of just reaffirms that most people are great, and that every once in a while The Universe drops a complete nutjob on you to keep you humble. Hopefully I get another 3/4 years before I get another.
Thank you for allowing me a semi-rant.
He questioned the terms. The pricing. The payment method. My motives. Everything we had contractually agreed to and signed our names to. Airtight-stuff that was agreed to and delivered by both parties.
He would not let me explain a single thing about our contract. He was completely ignorant to the entirety of the transaction. And polite rebuttals were shouted down. When he ran out of energy I asked him if he was done. He said yes, I thanked him and hung up.
I asked Mrs Pimp what she thought that was about the conversation. I never get complaints-she knows that. It's been maybe three years since I even had a minor complaint or revision. She said he probably regretted the transaction, got concerned about the cost, and was doing like a "shock and awe" style attack where you question every aspect of the transaction, no matter how silly or implausible. And that that is how some people (thankfully the rare few) conduct business. If they change their minds, you have to be "at fault" and they have to be hysterical and irrational and make claims and demands that defy logic as practiced on Planet Earth. It's just their Modus operandi of negotiating their way out of the deal. Which in my line of work, is automatic anyhow. They want out, it's just polite and procedural. Either that or this guy was drunk and having a really severe bi-polar episode.
Anyhow, I will just give him a full refund, and thank God there aren't more assholes like that. Do any of you guys also enjoy purging your most irrational and ugly customers ? To me, it kind of just reaffirms that most people are great, and that every once in a while The Universe drops a complete nutjob on you to keep you humble. Hopefully I get another 3/4 years before I get another.
Thank you for allowing me a semi-rant.
This post was edited on 4/11/16 at 1:52 pm
12
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:02 pm to Lsupimp
quote:
Everything we had contractually agreed to and signed our names to. Airtight-stuff that was agreed to and delivered by both parties.
quote:
Anyhow, I will just give him a full refund
So his shock-and-awe approached worked then?
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:13 pm to Bacchus
Read more closely.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:18 pm to Lsupimp
quote:
He would not let me explain a single thing about our contract. He was completely ignorant to the entirety of the transaction. And polite rebuttals were shouted down.
I'm in healthcare, Pimp. You think I get these people? Have you seen the medical billing threads?
quote:
Do any of you guys also enjoy purging your most irrational and ugly customers ?
I do it without hesitation, and unfortunately, entirely too often.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:25 pm to Lsupimp
I hear you, pimp.
Not exactly like your case but a few years ago I was scheduled to teach a two-week class in Kuwait City, Kuwait. I'd taught there before and had agreed to the terms of my return engagement similar to my first assignment there.
Three days before I was to depart I finally received the contract which had compensation terms much lower than we had agreed to in the previous work.
I wrote to my contact and asked if there was an error in the compensation amount in the contract. I even attached the emails where the agreed upon terms were offered and accepted.
He wrote back that they had decided to lower my daily pay rate.
I thanked him and told him I would not agree to the revised terms so he would have to find someone else to teach the class.
He called me in a rage accusing me of being unprofessional for backing out just a few days before the work was to begin and he had "30 something people lined up to attend the class" I was going to teach.
I explained he should have thought of that before he waited to almost the last minute to send me a contract with terms different from what we had already agreed to.
He told me I'd never work for his organization again. I told him I agreed with him......
Not exactly like your case but a few years ago I was scheduled to teach a two-week class in Kuwait City, Kuwait. I'd taught there before and had agreed to the terms of my return engagement similar to my first assignment there.
Three days before I was to depart I finally received the contract which had compensation terms much lower than we had agreed to in the previous work.
I wrote to my contact and asked if there was an error in the compensation amount in the contract. I even attached the emails where the agreed upon terms were offered and accepted.
He wrote back that they had decided to lower my daily pay rate.
I thanked him and told him I would not agree to the revised terms so he would have to find someone else to teach the class.
He called me in a rage accusing me of being unprofessional for backing out just a few days before the work was to begin and he had "30 something people lined up to attend the class" I was going to teach.
I explained he should have thought of that before he waited to almost the last minute to send me a contract with terms different from what we had already agreed to.
He told me I'd never work for his organization again. I told him I agreed with him......
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:33 pm to Lsupimp
What's the saying... 80 percent of your time is spent on 20 percent of your clients?
I don't like firing bad customers. I'm happy and thankful I'm in a position where I can.
I don't like firing bad customers. I'm happy and thankful I'm in a position where I can.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:34 pm to LSURussian
quote:
He told me I'd never work for his organization again. I told him I agreed with him......
Well played
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:44 pm to LSURussian
quote:
He called me in a rage
That's kind of what interests me. I'm kind of a non-sophisticated affable business guy. I never have any problems.I never haggle or give customers shite. I'm busy as hell, I just move on to another prospect if road-blocked. I even conduct faux-corporate phone interviews to get feedback on how they feel about me. The feedback is consistently great, which makes me feel positive and motivated. I mean, I consider these people friends. I'm on their side.
But what about guys who use hysterical and nonsensical RAGE as a tactic? That's a bit odd to me. It's like the sociopath goes to work. In this case I literally gave him the best pricing available in the industry, so it was simply a way for him to back out. Which he could do contractually and amiably at no costanyway. It was like his angry screamy psychology required him to create conflict, even if he had to make himself look completely ridiculous in the process. Another guy in my industry told me he's probably on a bi-polar rage or something. It was raw incomprehensible fury . He could have accomplished the same thing just by saying "I changed my mind" and I would have said "no worries". But it's like he needed the conflict.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:45 pm to LSUFanHouston
80% of your income is derived from the top 20% of your clientele. That 80/20 rule applies to a lot of things in your life.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:49 pm to Lsupimp
quote:
It was like his angry screamy psychology required him to create conflict, even if he had to make himself look completely ridiculous in the process.
It's always worth remembers that angry people are usually angry at someone/something else, not truly angry at you.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:53 pm to Shepherd88
quote:
80% of your income is derived from the top 20% of your clientele. That 80/20 rule applies to a lot of things in your life.
I've heard the cousin to that rule is 80% of your stress comes from 20% of your clients.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 2:55 pm to Lsupimp
I'm straight commission and unfortunately the ones that behave that way are usually customers that net me 50k or more per year each.
So sadly, no, I just listen and take the abuse....and their money. Comes with the job sometimes. But luckily they are few and far between
So sadly, no, I just listen and take the abuse....and their money. Comes with the job sometimes. But luckily they are few and far between
Posted on 4/11/16 at 3:05 pm to Lsupimp
As a business owner I have no problem firing a troublesome client. They take up way too much time for far too little money. Give me the client who appreciates the extra mile all day long.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 3:34 pm to Lsupimp
"The door is that way" something I don't like saying often, but when I do it is well deserved.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 6:07 pm to Lsupimp
You made a living before he came around and will make a living with him gone. Good for you.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 6:21 pm to Shepherd88
quote:
80% of your income is derived from the top 20% of your clientele. That 80/20 rule applies to a lot of things in your life.
Pareto
This post was edited on 4/11/16 at 6:22 pm
Posted on 4/11/16 at 7:57 pm to Lsupimp
What line of work are you in?
Posted on 4/11/16 at 8:05 pm to Lsupimp
Haha, I had a similar incident a few months ago. I knew for a fact we quoted this guy the lowest price for what he wanted. I was assigned the project, and from the first conversation with him knew it was going to be a problem. I swallowed my pride for a month or so and just worked as best I could. But he always found something to bitch about, and called at least once a day. I finally went to my boss and he asked why I had put up with it for so long and tell him to kick rocks and go somewhere else.
I waited until the inevitable phone call the next day and let him go on for a few minutes. I finally calmly told him I had decided this engagement wasn't working for me and he would need to find another outfit to do it for him. He was in stunned silence for a few seconds and screamed about needing it done next week. I told him that was no longer my problem and to come get all the files he had given me. He asked for the work I had so far completed, and I told him I was about 75% done so I'd release it to him for 75% of the agreed price. He hung up and sent his secretary to get his files. I almost sent him an invoice but decided to leave well enough alone.
I waited until the inevitable phone call the next day and let him go on for a few minutes. I finally calmly told him I had decided this engagement wasn't working for me and he would need to find another outfit to do it for him. He was in stunned silence for a few seconds and screamed about needing it done next week. I told him that was no longer my problem and to come get all the files he had given me. He asked for the work I had so far completed, and I told him I was about 75% done so I'd release it to him for 75% of the agreed price. He hung up and sent his secretary to get his files. I almost sent him an invoice but decided to leave well enough alone.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 10:52 pm to Lsupimp
quote:
Thank you for allowing me a semi-rant.
quote:
Do any of you guys also enjoy purging your most irrational and ugly customers ?
It's not something I want to do obviously but I gotta say I really do enjoy it when I have to
I am in a place now where I can lose that one customer here and there and he/she won't be much of a blip on my income. I've purged 2 customers in the last couple months. Just recently I met with someone and he was already a bit annoying but I answered his questions and nodded and closed the deal. He also asked my company to do something else for him which could lead to more business so I said "sure". Next thing you know he's claiming my worker damaged something at his house on his visit a few days later. I told him we can continue on with the contract we signed and "maybe you want to use someone else for the other job". He went nuts. I knew this guy was going to be an arse for the first job, I sure as hell didn't want to take on a second. I was totally fine losing the first over it as it wasn't a big deal whatsoever. He actually came correct once I told him I was pulling the first deal and now we're doing both jobs. He was great to my crew on the first job so we'll be doing the next soon. So he wasn't technically a "purge" but the good old take-away is really satisfying as well
Years ago I'd do anything to keep a deal and deal with a total POS, go out of my way, etc. Not anymore. Someone else in the thread said it, 80% of my work is for 20% of my clients. And no, those 20% of my clients don't make up 80% of my income. They make up for less than 20% likely as it's always the small deals that are the most trouble.
Posted on 4/11/16 at 11:28 pm to Lsupimp
quote:
Anyhow, I will just give him a full refund, and thank God there aren't more assholes like that. Do any of you guys also enjoy purging your most irrational and ugly customers ? To me, it kind of just reaffirms that most people are great, and that every once in a while The Universe drops a complete nutjob on you to keep you humble. Hopefully I get another 3/4 years before I get another.
Hell yes I do!! And they are NEVER good paying customers. Almost always are someone I took as a favor, and waaaaaaaay more pain in the arse than any profit could ever warrant. I love even more when they try to get back in with their tail tucked. But my rule is that once you leave, you can never come back.
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