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>It's time to answer a question, I realize until now, I >didn't fully answer it: "Since you wrote about reading >'The Innovator's Dilemma', you know how dangerous it >is to 'fire' customers. Why do you still say we >should?" > >I advocate "firing" individual customers who cost you >more than their patronage is worth to you. When they >complain too much about things you can't afford to >change or consume too much of your time &/or other >resources, it's time to let them go. When you or your >staff are stressed & tired because of somebody's >unjustified demands, it interferes with your ability >to serve other customers as they deserve to be served. >When a customer consumes too much of your time, then >other customers are inconvenienced. > >If you don't fire low-profit, high-hassle customers, >they'll keep interfering with your ability to serve >others well. Then other customers may fire you & buy >from competitors. Then you'll have fewer good >customers, so your profit will be lower & you'll be >out of business & all of your customers will end up >finding somebody else to buy from. > >How to fire them depends on your business & their >social influence. You can ask them not to return. You >can stop calling them. Don't accept their calls. Refer >them to a business that may serve them better. If they >visit you, you can be too busy to help them. If you >have a store room customers aren't allowed to enter, >you can say you didn't find what they want. (You don't >have to look, just go through the motions. Since you >didn't look, you honestly didn't find what they want.) >If you have time, you can call competitors to ask if >they have what the unprofitable customer wants. If a >competitor has it, then you served the unprofitable >customer--hopefully for the last time. > >You're unlikely to please everybody, so you shouldn't >try. You should serve those who are satisfied with >your best efforts. > >Dennis S. Vogel >To be optimally successful, or even just to stay in >business, you may need to replace some customers. To >help you do it, I have free marketing advice & >information here - >http://www.thrivingbusiness.lakefield.net/ >http://www.voy.com/31049/

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