Five Signs You Are Working With A Client From Hell
In the world of contracting, terrible clients have become the norm. Certain clients are more pampered than ever, and as soon as they get a dose of power, it turns into a huge trip. Like an alcoholic who can’t drink alcohol, certain clients can’t work with people they have hired, as they turn into a tyrannical maniac. Below are 5 signs that you’re dealing with a client from hell!
1. The client pesters you nonstop for the bid.
2. The client calls you at all hours of the night.
3. The client talks down to you.
4. The client is unusually demanding.
5. The client changes the deal.
The Client Who Pesters You Nonstop For The Bid
Have you ever had a client that emailed you twice a day for a bid. A client who aggravates the hell out of you with their anxious worrying, or their compulsory texting. “I need the bid now!” “It has been two days, what is taking so long?”. These clients are to be looked at with a sceptic’s eye. Any contractual engagement with these types will be the death of you and your business.
The Client Who Calls at All Hours of The Night
Imagine laying down in bed at 11:30 pm and you hear the phone ring. You see it’s Bill calling, a guy whose project you just started. The first thing you think is it must be an emergency, so you answer the phone. “Hello?”
“Hey Jim, it’s Bill. Hey, listen, I was thinking about those cabinet colors we discussed, and I think I would rather go with red cherry, although a turquoise and white also crossed my mind. What do you think”?
The next night… “Hey Jim, it's Bill again. Hey, I noticed there was a cap on one of the plumbing lines in the kitchen, isn’t that going to eventually be a valve”?
Bill does not care about Jim or his sanity. If a client is calling you late at night on the regular, it might be time to fire them. Click here to learn how to fire a client.
The Client That Talks Down to You
Have you ever had that client who thinks because he has a nice house and a fancy car that he can treat you like garbage. Or because of the fact that he works in tech and you in construction that he is above you. Does he walk around in a smug cloud of arrogance. If so, you might want to reconsider working with them. Chances are, he looks at you as a servant and not a person. If he possesses just a Smidge of showmanship, or pretention, run to the hills and don’t look back!
The Client Who Is Unusually Demanding
Like the client who talks down to you, the impatient demander (as we call them) has a similar outlook on life. They expect the world to stop when they walk through a door, they think that all existence was created to satisfy them. The impatient demander has irate qualities, they will go to extremes in order to have a request fulfilled, and they always have to have the last word. The impatient demander is amongst the worst clients to work with. If you get any signs that you are dealing with the impatient demander, Leadcheck them.
The Client Who Changes the Deal
The second the client tries to change the scope of work, you know you have a deal changer on your hands. Not only will he change the scope of work, but also the price tag. My good friend Benny lost everything to the deal changer, here is his story.