June 21, 2012

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Is any customer a good customer as long as they pay?

Absolutely not.

In fact, most successful and profitable companies understand that they cannot “be all things to all people.”

But first, when it comes to business what makes a “good” or “bad” customer. For most businesses, a good customer is one that:

1. Pays on time, regularly without extraneous past due balances.
2. Has a clear and correct expectation about your company.
3. Adequately uses your internal resources (i.e. support, customer service).
4. Communicates early on issues; giving you opportunity to course correct.
5. Is generally pleasant to deal with.

Arguably, for all intensive purposes, a “bad” customer could be defined as the opposite of all these things. And if by chance most of your customers are the exact opposite of these ideals it may be time to tidy up and do some “house cleaning.”

Unconventional Ways to Improve Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is a priority. However, you shouldn’t get lost in a conundrum of trying to service everyone that has a “pain point” because, not every customer is meant for your business. It’s not conventional wisdom, but it’s true. Anyone that’s been in business any length of time is privy to this fact.

Some of your customers may be costing your company more than they give back in return. And while you should absolutely do your best to deliver happiness, no one — including your employees — will be happy if you’re not delivering a profit.

So, if you’ve been dealing with more “bad” than “good” customers lately it’s time to ramp up customer satisfaction and your team’s sanity with four simple steps:

1.     Spend time in productive areas.

You shouldn’t spend exorbitant resources and energy trying to win some customers. Customers that want you to jump through hoops doom the relationship from day one.

Take a closer look at some of your best customers. Did you have to walk on hot coals, sail the seven seas and kiss their grandma to make a sale? Not likely.

It’s important to know that not everyone needs what you offer and the best use of your precious and valuable time is to start talking to those that do.

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