Can You Really Fire a Client?

Is it ever okay to fire a client?

You may think this is an absurd question, but in all reality, it really isn’t. And the answer is an unequivocal YES!

Our agency-client relationships are just like a marriage. Initially, both parties are excited to begin a new relationship to see what the other brings to the table. But that honeymoon phase can end, and so can that agent-client relationship.

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I’m not saying that you should dismiss clients for one small infraction, but you can’t allow them to hold you hostage if they are making you absolutely miserable.

There are those clients who think everything is all about them. They monopolize your time and are the reason you can’t give the customers who make you love what you do enough attention. They feel you should always be available to cater to their every whim, making your return on investment nonexistent.

If clients are, in essence, costing you money, they shouldn’t be in your portfolio.

Then you have clients with two-star budgets who want five-star resorts. You don’t want to turn business away so you take them on thinking they will come to grips with what they can afford and eventually book a trip. You offer them an itinerary within their budget, but they constantly want you to revise it because they are expecting you to find them the deal of the century.

Don’t waste your time because chances are they are never going to book with you. If there is a next time, qualify them by taking a deposit so you will at least receive something for your efforts because it is unlikely that those efforts will translate into a booking.

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Then there are demanding clients who play the blame game. The price of their flight goes up, it’s your fault. The excursion was in euros and they didn’t realize it and they want you to reimburse them for the difference.

My response to these clients is this: Why are you working with me in the first place if you don’t trust my abilities?

Purge them from your list.

You can purge these clients from your list and still keep them in your agency fold. Pass them down to a new agent or colleague and give them a chance to see if their relationship can last beyond the honeymoon period.

Move on and don’t sweat the small stuff. You can’t be everything to everybody. #WorksSmarterNotHarder