Customers You Don’t Want
March 23rd, 2010 | Published in Business, Quotes | 2 Comments
Sometimes there are customers you wouldn’t want even if they paid you. As an example, I give you a recent email exchange I had. Signatures have been removed.
From: Joe
To: MeWhat is my total cost as a licensed Real Estate Broker to list my own property as well as listings my Clients?
From: Me
T0: JoeIt’s $30/mo for unlimited listings, see [url redacted]
From: Joe
To: MeIs that a $30.00 one-time fee, period, with never another fee? I can’t find the fee schedule on the site.
Where is your company located? How long have you been in business? I’m very likely going to use the service, after I do my own due diligence. What phone number can I call to talk to a live body if I need to. Thanks again.
From: Me
To: JoeIt’s a monthly fee. The company is located in North Port, FL and we’ve been in business for 4 years. Support is email only.
From: Joe
To: MeWrong answer dude. I didn’t ask for support. I asked for a way to talk with someone who wants my money! But them you knew that. Good thing I ‘outed you’ first.
You most likely suck idiots into giving you a credit card with an automatic draw – that’s kinda like getting AIDS – no fucking way to get rid of you.
From: Me
To: JoeI’m glad you “outed me” too, as I’d rather not have customers like you. :)
Have a great day!
These kinds of customers can suck the life out of you. They’re more trouble than they are worth. I’m just glad he did his “due diligence” so I didn’t have to deal with him after he paid and would inevitably be disappointed. These people go through life spreading unhappiness, and I’d much rather do without them.
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:01 pm (#)
This comes from Seth Godin:
Some consumers are short-sighted, greedy and selfish.
Extend yourself a little and they’ll want a lot.
Offer a free drink in the restaurant one night and they’re angry that it’s not there the next.
The nuts in first class weren’t warm!
The challenge of winning more than your fair share of the market is that the best available strategy–providing remarkable service and an honest human connection–will be abused by a few people you work with.
You have three choices: put up with the whiners, write off everyone, or, deliberately exclude the ungrateful curs.
Firing the customers you can’t possibly please gives you the bandwidth and resources to coddle the ones that truly deserve your attention and repay you with referrals, applause and loyalty.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/02/more-more-more.html
July 19th, 2010 at 8:27 pm (#)
I had a customer consume 20 minutes of my time answering questions readily available on the website only to hear them check to see if it is cheaper first to deal locally (in India) rather than ship from America.