Have You Fired a Client Lately?
Why you can’t afford that difficult client — and what to do about it.
by Rick Telberg
At Large
Invoices that are paid late or not at all, phone calls on Christmas day to calculate year-end numbers, unrealistic demands and even fraud… Most every accountant has their own story of clients who are more than just difficult.
Let’s face it. We love our clients. That’s why most accountants are in the business. But some clients are just, honestly, nightmares. Accountants have a name for them. They are the clients from hell.
Difficult clients are a problem to firms of all sizes. To be sure, small firms can be most vulnerable to one or two difficult clients. Larger firms generally have procedures in place to manage client acceptance and grading. But I’m also seeing firms of all sizes that are tightening up their client acceptance processes and systematically shedding their “D” clients so they can focus on their “A” clients.
RELATED (Updated Noon, Nov. 25, due to popular demand for the how-to and what-to-do):
What’s YOUR best tip for firing a client? Tell us in comments here…
