In the Romance Novel business,
we ‘fire’ customers
all the time.
There are readers
who are never happy.
They never want
to pay for books.
They leave bad reviews
on EVERY release.
They load books illegally
on pirate sites.
They complain
on our promo posts,
which discourages other readers
from buying our books.
So we gently tell them
they should try other writers’ works.
We might quietly
unfriend them on Facebook.
We might quietly
unsubscribe them
from our newsletters.
It has to happen
for our happiness
and for the health
of our business.
Gord Woodward,
in the July/August 2017
The Costco Connection,
shares
advice for firing a client.
“Be sensitive and tactful.
A phone call is more personal
but a letter works too.
Thank the clients for their business,
then let them know that
the relationship isn’t working.
And apologize –
‘We’re sorry
we’ve been unable
to satisfy your needs’
– even if you’ve done nothing wrong.
Finish up by suggesting a solution
– namely, referring the buyer elsewhere:
‘The other companies in town
may be better able to help you.'”
The Company/Customer relationship
has to work for both of you.
If it doesn’t,
consider firing the customer.