Just sacked a client
Discussion
First time I've done this for years. The client in question paid a £2k a month retainer, which was nice, but commonly took over 90 days to pay, was rude, unco-operative and increasingly impossible to work with. He felt he had me over a barrel because I'm a one-man band and could do as he pleased. Went to a meeting this morning, he complained that I hadn't done what I had been instructed, I pointed out that what I was instructed to do didn't fall within the terms of our contract and then told him that I wouldn't do any more work until my outstanding invoices were settled. He started blustering about how that was no way to treat a client, I told him to shove his business up his 'arris.
I'll miss the retainer, at least until I replace it, but damn that felt good!
I'll miss the retainer, at least until I replace it, but damn that felt good!
I am biding my time on one in particular. Picky, self opinionated and prone to insisting on work being re-done for no good reason. Thinks they know every complexity and detail of the product when they know nothing.
Last straw came when they insisted on us checking and re-doing work 'within 48 hours' that turned out be be spot on, on the day we were flooded out and I was sat upstairs with water running through downstairs, with the runs from contaminated water and a sprained ankle from falling base over apex.
Revenge is a dish......
Just waiting until they have a key deadline to hit!
Last straw came when they insisted on us checking and re-doing work 'within 48 hours' that turned out be be spot on, on the day we were flooded out and I was sat upstairs with water running through downstairs, with the runs from contaminated water and a sprained ankle from falling base over apex.
Revenge is a dish......
Just waiting until they have a key deadline to hit!
We used to produce the BSM car decals and that was quite a large order every year.
They became more and more demanding, often involving me driving to Coventry to resolve a problem that was clearly a fitting problem rather than a production problem.
Towards the end of our relationship I became frustrated with new management going out of their way to prove how good they were at their jobs, but in fact being complete morons making life very difficult fo us and I subsequently told them to go take a long jump off a short pier.
I was told you can't treat clients that way.....
You bloody can you know!
Good luck to you. We missed the turnover, but not the aggravation!
They became more and more demanding, often involving me driving to Coventry to resolve a problem that was clearly a fitting problem rather than a production problem.
Towards the end of our relationship I became frustrated with new management going out of their way to prove how good they were at their jobs, but in fact being complete morons making life very difficult fo us and I subsequently told them to go take a long jump off a short pier.
I was told you can't treat clients that way.....
You bloody can you know!
Good luck to you. We missed the turnover, but not the aggravation!
it is very nice to tell a client to stick it.
1% of our money but 25% of the hassle from one client. She couldnt beleive it when we told her that we have had enough, and what we though of her,
PIA client- ' but but Im your client, you cant talk to me like that...... 'not any longer..1 months notice....goodbye. ' but, but''
the final straw was insisting on us getting 2 quotes to cut a small bush -4 ft high. we bent over backwards and got written quotes for £10 and £18 from a regular tradesmans. She then said it was too much and would do it herself.
ffs. Anyway we got the last laugh when she was on the otherside of the world and she was begging us to reconsider not acting for her. hah ahahahahahahahha muuuhhhhhhhhhhaaa.
Nope.
1% of our money but 25% of the hassle from one client. She couldnt beleive it when we told her that we have had enough, and what we though of her,
PIA client- ' but but Im your client, you cant talk to me like that...... 'not any longer..1 months notice....goodbye. ' but, but''
the final straw was insisting on us getting 2 quotes to cut a small bush -4 ft high. we bent over backwards and got written quotes for £10 and £18 from a regular tradesmans. She then said it was too much and would do it herself.
ffs. Anyway we got the last laugh when she was on the otherside of the world and she was begging us to reconsider not acting for her. hah ahahahahahahahha muuuhhhhhhhhhhaaa.
Nope.
Don't ever call me again!'.Not all business is good business. Some will pay you some money but then you have running around in a way you struggle to MAKE money on what they have paid you.
I have one who ALWAYS sits on their quarterly bill for a couple of months. I bust a gut to chase it up with them without withdrawing service, but last time I just said unless they pay up now then we won't do any more work. We then just went quiet on them until they came back saying they needed to work with us and they would pay the bills immediately. I'll be invoicing them again at the end of this month and will make sure they see me pulling the rug sooner this time.
Not a great way to work with someone, but they make it that way but ordering stuff and not paying.
We have a client who continually pays late. We now send supplementary late payment invoices on the day after the due date. To be fair this has not made them pay any quicker but at least we are getting more turnover. We also invoice each job separately as well rather than put a whole list on one invoice so that we can issue multiple late payment invoices!
It is not ripping the client off but they have been told that they cannot have extremely competitive rates and extended credit. They now have the option to choose which they prefer.
It is not ripping the client off but they have been told that they cannot have extremely competitive rates and extended credit. They now have the option to choose which they prefer.
Just as an adjunct to this - I filed a County Court claim against this client yesterday because he has subsequently failed to pay my invoices for October and November, and has ducked my calls and emails. Am now considering also writing a piece in the business section of his local newspaper that highlights the perils of dealing with certain specific unethical businesses. No more Mr Nice Guy!
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