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Have you ever "fired" a customer?

SCP

By SCP,
in Huddle Lounge

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SCP Enthusiast

SCP

Posted
Posted

I did. I took a customer, guy from Pittsburgh, and some of his colleagues to Morton's in San Diego for dinner. We were at the bar waiting when he said "I'm a Jew and am a bit picky when it comes to meals." i kind of laughed off that comment thinking he was joking. It was a busy night so the waitress asked if she could present the meat to my table and the table next to us. I said no problem. She proceeds with the menu presentation. After she finishes, my customer points at her and says " Get over here and do the f*cking presentation again.". I'm in a state of shock. The rest of the night he is in the grill of the wait staff. I leave the table and apologize to the waitress, who is damn near in tears, and the maitre d. The maitre d brings the guy free dessert. The dude then put in a dip of Skoal and proceeded to spit in one of their wine glasses. The next week he called in about business and I told him I would never sell to him again. He called back a time or two later. Hasn't been a customer since. My boss supports that decision.

Anybody else walked away from a sale because the customer was not worth the commission?

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Darth Biscuit Mentor

Darth Biscuit

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We do aerial mapping and such and I'm a licensed surveyor... had a guy call me once after we had done a survey and asked me if the volumes on the piles of rock/dirt we had provided him were correct... I told him they were but I'd gladly double check them... he says "no, that's ok... but listen... is there any way that they could be a lot less than you reported?" Not understanding, I said, "um, I don't understand what you mean..." He basically came out and asked me to forge the report and make it look like there was less volume than there actually was... I told him straight up there was no way I could do that and that even if I could it wouldn't be ethical and I wouldn't risk my license on it... he never called back. Fine by me.

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Inimicus Mentor

Inimicus

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I spent almost a decade writing software for manufacturing companies. Shop floor automation software, customer service packages, inventory and ordering systems, you name it.

Probably walked away from half a dozen customers over that time. Gave them the code that I had written, any documentation I had worked up, and walked away.

Some customers are just not worth the money you are going to make off of them.

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Wyank Rookie

Wyank

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I did. I took a customer, guy from Pittsburgh, and some of his colleagues to Morton's in San Diego for dinner. We were at the bar waiting when he said "I'm a Jew and am a bit picky when it comes to meals." i kind of laughed off that comment thinking he was joking. It was a busy night so the waitress asked if she could present the meat to my table and the table next to us. I said no problem. She proceeds with the menu presentation. After she finishes, my customer points at her and says " Get over here and do the f*cking presentation again.". I'm in a state of shock. The rest of the night he is in the grill of the wait staff. I leave the table and apologize to the waitress, who is damn near in tears, and the maitre d. The maitre d brings the guy free dessert. The dude then put in a dip of Skoal and proceeded to spit in one of their wine glasses. The next week he called in about business and I told him I would never sell to him again. He called back a time or two later. Hasn't been a customer since. My boss supports that decision.

Anybody else walked away from a sale because the customer was not worth the commission?

Back in my early 20's when I was a server, we had a terrible customer like that. An asshole who brought his wife and kid in. Completely rude, other customers complained about the table to the manager. The original waitress couldn't handle it and eventually burst into tears in the back. She was one of the "strong" servers on the staff and has dealt with bad customers before. This table was just that bad. I had to take the table over. He wasn't a dick to me but it was probably because he felt guilty or his family went off on him. He asked where his server was and why I was taking over. I replied, "She is in the back crying because of how you have been treating her. Congrats buddy. You made a 19 year old girl working her way through college cry." It worked out for her though. The rest of her tables around this table gave her hell of a lot of money.

It's amazing how rediculous people can be to people trying to help them. You always feel bad though for the people the asshole is eating with trying to distant themselves from the idiot. I have an uncle that is that way. I refuse to go out to eat with him. He is a complete dick to the staff. He simply just doesn't care. I told him he probably doesn't want to know the amount of times he ate spit.

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Iceberg Slim Newbie

Iceberg Slim

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Absolutely, and have done it before. Our core business is consulting services. Before I even begin the process of building a SOW I make it extremely clear that not only do we have to be a fit for your team and culture, but even more importantly you, Mr. Client have to be a fit for us as well. Bottom line, if you aren't willing to put any skin (resources etc.) in the game, the project will fail, or will run over budget, etc......I have no problem getting rid of bad clients.....

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Epistaxis Newbie

Epistaxis

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How do you do it? Tell them you can't help them anymore?

It is always about trust.

I tell them if they can't trust me, based on their lack of compliance or their general PITAedness, I let them know I no longer feel comfortable providing them care.

I am required to find them alternatives to my care, have to make copious documentation, and send a certified letter detailing the transfer of services to someone else.

It sucks.

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pantherclaw Grand Master

pantherclaw

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The customer is always right, until he's disrespectful.

I don't care who you are. I don't care if you think other people should be treated like slaves.

I don't care how big your bank account is. If you can't talk to me or ask for something in a way that shows you were raised with manners, you are not getting my help.

I've told a few customers to get out of my store and to not return.

Though it isn't my store, it might as well be if you are in my department.

My bosses know I won't put up with that crap.

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