With the current economy, everyone in business is praying to have a client who will keep them afloat. With many companies cutting down marketing budgets, hiring, and making new investments, getting a new client is an underrated blessing. We all want a source of income.
But not all clients are a blessing. Some clients we get and end up regretting why we accepted the deal in the first place. The saying that a “customer is always right” does not apply to all the clients/customers you come across. Some are toxic to the core and will break you into pieces.
I call them toxic clients, or clients who are difficult to work with. A “difficult client” is someone who exhibits behaviors that create obstacles for a company or its employees, or suppliers, often by making unreasonable demands, being overly critical, rude to staff, or consistently expressing dissatisfaction, regardless of the efforts made to meet their needs; essentially, they present challenges in maintaining a positive working relationship.
Related Content: Bank Of Kigali Targets Wealthy Clients With A New Product
Here are some of their characteristics:
They pay less and demand more.
Some clients pay way less but will demand more than they are paying for. For instance, you find a client who is paying 20,000 shillings but the work he/she is demanding is worth 100,000 shillings. To them, they are paying you what you deserve and you must deliver.
They are experts in everything.
If you get me as an expert, it simply means I might have more knowledge in the field you need help in than you. But getting a client who needs help but wants to dictate what you should do even if you, as an expert know that what they think they know is crap.
They are never satisfied.
They are always complaining that you, as the supplier of a service, are not doing enough. The more you work and deliver to them, the more they complain. You can never find them in the right mood. They are always in their worst moods and always complaining loudly without giving solutions.
They want you to accomplish what is in their mind.
These are some crazy clients who think of you as a certain magician who should see through them and accomplish what they are imagining. They will keep on rejecting what you are offering with, “This is not what I expected” without telling you what they expect. Lunatics.
They do not pay on time.
After delivering work, you start chasing after them to be paid. They will start taking you in circles and giving excuses as soon as work is done. Not that they do not have money, but because they think they shouldn’t pay you for the work done.
Related Content: Stanbic Bank To Offer Financing Solutions To Simba Corp’s Clients
