Do I want quantity or quality customers?
As the saying goes, “the customer is king.” It’s no secret that a business is nothing without its customers. While customer relationships are certainly important, every business owner comes to ask themselves, what’s more important, quantity or quality? Is it worth dealing with overly demanding customers? Is it worth handling very small jobs if you have a high enough amount of them, or is it better to focus on bigger, higher-paying jobs? The key to success is deciding which customers are worth keeping, and more importantly, which customers you should actively let go of.
What is a good customer?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It’s worth holding onto your good customers. In fact, you should take extra care to retain them. As a business owner, you may not have a consistent income. That is, unless you have extremely regular clients and customers, your monthly revenue can fluctuate wildly. A 9-5 job provides more stability, but less room for money making. Eliminate the uncertainty by crafting valuable relationships with quality customers. What makes a quality customer
Quality customers should be fair in temperament. They should give clear instructions and treat you well. They should be satisfied with your product or work, or, if they aren’t, should be satisfied with the revision or improved product. A quality customer is a step below a friend. Your relationship should be amicable, and should feel like a win-win for both sides. Quality customers are ones who don’t stress you out. Quality customers also return to you regularly, and are fairly reliable purchasers. Quality customers, even if their order amount is small, are well worth your time. You know what they want and you know how to deliver it. This fact alone makes you more efficient, saving you time and money in the long-run.
What is a bad customer?
They say “the customer is always right,” but this isn’t always true. Some customers can be difficult to deal with, and, at the end of the day, you have to ask if dealing with them is worth your time and effort. Is the amount of money you’re making them worth the time you put into those customers? If your customer is a nitpicker and constantly sends things back for revisions, demands upgrades, or is consistently and reliably unsatisfied, they may be detracting from your business rather than adding to it.
Consider how much your customers are buying from you and how much revenue you generate from them. Then try to calculate how many hours per week you spend on these difficult customers. Is it worth your time? Are you making more than you’re spending in reality? If the answer is no, don’t be afraid to let these customers. Clear the way for positive, quality customers and see your business flourish!