No matter how great your business or company is, every once in awhile you’re bound to end up with a bad customer.
We’re not talking about bad people.
My definition of a bad customer occurs when there’s simply mismatch or misalignment between your business and them.
Basically, somehow, somewhere, something just isn’t lining up, and neither of you is happy.
So what do you do when this happens?
And what steps can you take to prevent this from happening again?
Bad Customers Are Symptoms Of An Unclear Marketing Message
The first thing to do is admit that having a bad customer is largely your fault.
Say what Adam?!
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about rude, disrespectful, violent, or otherwise uncivil people, they’re not your fault and frankly, they have no place in the business world.
I’m talking about people that just don’t seem to understand or appreciate the value that you’re providing.
You need to understand and accept that the reason they’re there on your businesses doorstep is because your brand, your marketing, and your message was somehow appealing to them, and they were drawn to your business.
They were attracted to your business through your marketing – not by some power of attraction thing – but literally, by the message they picked up or interpreted from your company.
So… if your message is consistently picking up the wrong customers, it’s time to change the message.
How To Have Bad Customers Disappear
The easiest, cheapest, and best way by far to get rid of bad customers is to never have them show up in the first place.
And the best way to do that is by giving them every opportunity to stand up and say…
“This isn’t for me.”
Having a potentially bad customer self-select right out of your business is a beautiful thing, and saves both time and money that you can use to better serve your good customers.
The way to have bad customers leave before they even arrive is to be crystal clear in your businesses message (sometimes referred to as branding).
You need to:
Know and publicly declare what you do and who you do it for.
And know what you stand for, and what you don’t.
There’s a side benefit as well.
By being “not for everybody” and not being afraid to say it, you become even more “for some people”.
And “some people” really like that.
