An 80/20 look at problem customers…
Anyone who has worked in customer service already knows what I’m talking about here.
You get up, you log into the support system, and you see it another email from that same guy.
You recognize his name. His email address. You know before you even click it what he wants.
The same old question. The same simple request you’ve already told him how to handle on his own.
But the requests keep coming. And this is a mild example. Often it’s far worse.
So what’s to be done?
Tell him off, close his account, tell him to quit bothering you?
Maybe.
Suck it up and bang out the same answer, yet again, to the same question you’ve already answered dozens of times?
Maybe.
The difference is in the situation. How disruptive is this guy?
Would be more of a hassle to get rid of him, or to keep answering him?
Are there other ways to drive him away?
If you were looking for an easy answer in this email, I’m sorry to disappoint.
There is no easy answer.
You need to take people like this on a case by case basis, and ideally, set things up so they never buy in the first place.
Maybe you don’t answer stupid questions from non-customers. You certainly don’t make any extra effort to sell to someone who asks stupid questions. Or bothers you all the time.
A problem maybe-customer will become an even bigger problem when (or if) they actually buy.
They seem to thrive on attention, so if you want them gone, you need to cut off the flow of it.
Make them either shape up or get out.
Until then, think of this email next time you get an email from this guy.
Him again?
— Mark
