If you have been reading this blog for some time you will know that I operate in the professional services space.
I am truly grateful for all the clients I have ever worked with, and I genuinely hope this article doesn’t come across as arrogant or as being ungrateful.
But I wanted to touch on a topic that doesn’t get mentioned frequently.
And that is the role that the client plays in the professional relationship.
Being in a working relationship is a two way street. "It takes two to tango".
And in the sense of a working relationship, the relationship with your professional advisor is one that requires immense trust between both parties. After all, you’re providing your advisor with details you may not share with others.
Perhaps it is the stress of the deadline season taking a toll, but a few things have happened recently that got me thinking - what is it that good clients do that the less good clients don’t?
Firstly, there are some very basic things that the good clients do:
They appreciate your services and let you know
They bring their records in early and respond to emails promptly
They pay their invoices on time and thank you for your services
They are respectful of your time, experience and expertise
The best clients do all of the above plus:
Refer likeminded clients to you
Let you know that they think your services are too cheap (yes this actually happens)
Leave positive reviews on your website and social media platforms
Take your advice and benefit from it
Common traits of the less good clients are:
They don’t bring their records in until the last minute, and then demand that you drop all other work so that you solely focus on their work
They don’t respond to emails promptly, or possibly at all
They call at 4:59pm on a Friday afternoon, saying they have a quick question that really takes hours to solve
They consistently demand meetings out of your standard hours
They impose restrictions on how you operate (i.e. only want to work with a specific staff, can only be contacted via a specific method).
They don’t take your advice and then complain about the same problem over and over
And after you do all of this, they complain about how much they are being charged and pay late
Bad clients make their problems your problems. They take more from you than they give back. And even when you deliver over and over again, it is still not appreciated. This can be a real problem as it can lower your confidence when dealing with good clients.
Gone are the days that "the customer is always right".
Actually, the customer might be wrong, they might be eroding your profitability, they might be abusing your staff, they might be asking you to do something illegal.
As a leader, working with bad clients undermines your credibility. It shows that you value poor behaving individuals more than your staff. It places revenue as your highest metric.
When you work with clients that value and appreciate your services, some amazing things happen:
You and your staff are happier, as they are working with appreciative customers
You use less resources on time wasting tasks such as debt collection, following up outstanding information, sending reminder notices
You will become more profitable as you are working with clients that value your services
Your business will become more valuable as you will have a portfolio of loyal, pleasant clients
And best of all, your staff will be happy to go above and beyond, because they are helping good people that appreciate your services.
This only compounds your success, as your great customers are getting great service and referring other great customers.
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