15 Reasons to Dump a Client
You know the type.
They’re the clients that keep you awake at night, bother you on weekends, and drive your staff crazy. They’re the clients you’d rather you didn’t have. Wouldn’t it be great to dump them and make them some other accountant’s problem?
But how do you spot a problem client before they swell into a catastrophe? Arvid Mostad, president of Mostad & Christensen, a supplier of marketing materials to accounting firms, outlines 15 habits of bad clients:
1. Slow paying or non-payment of fees.
2. Write-downs always exceed write-ups.
3. Client frequently complains about billings.
4. Client is unwilling to pay for added services.
5. Not profitable when compared to other clients.
6. Personality conflict with partners and staff.
7. Client conduct makes staff uncomfortable.
8. Client is abusive to staff, even if civil to partners.
9. Client fails to cooperate or provide information on a timely basis.
10. Client doesn’t listen to advice given, then complains about results.
11. Client projects are always on a crisis time schedule.
12. Client expresses lack of trust in the firm’s work.
13. Client is less than truthful.
14. Client has taken on new ventures outside the firm’s area of expertise.
15. Client’s activities expose the firm to liability.
How do you know it’s time to dump a client? And how do you handle it? Tell us in Comments.
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6 Responses to 15 Reasons to Dump a Client (Subscribe)
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Pingback: Stefanie Dewilde said: Love this
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http://www.s-consult.com
Some of this may be repeats — or only slight variations:
1. Client blames you for their delays or poor decisions
2. Client has a really awful bathroom (dirty) – this is generally a reflection on how they treat their staff and ultimately you. It works nearly 100% of the time.
3. Client doesn’t take advice. In that case I’ve fired myself because I don’t belong there and they need someone whose advice they will take.
4. Significant ongoing turnover at client
5. Client spends a lot of time badmouthing prior accountant or any professional.
http://www.cpatrendlines.com
Excellent, Wayne! Thanks!
I think the bathroom test is the all-time best! ;)
http://www.blumercpas.com
Ha! The bathroom test is great!
We fire clients fast! They always do more harm in the long run if you don’t do it fast. See here: http://thriveal.com/2009/05/06/why-i-fire-my-clients/
We have committed to spending enough time up front so that we know whether to take new clients in the first place. That takes more time but (1) it solidifies our relationship as we start with a new client, and (2) it helps us NOT take bad clients in the first place.
We win in ‘client retention’ when we do it up front, not on the back end!
Bathroom test plus fire those:
Never picks up phone
fails to reply
Miss meetings
http://heartbasedbookkeeping.com/
Outstanding article! :) I love it!