😕 Am I a bad client?
- John J D Munn
- Nov 14, 2023
- 3 min read
I, like most people, consider myself to be a fairly okay person.
For those of you who don't know, I'm British, so that's quite a strong statement.
Recently, I've been reflecting about my relationship with a particular company I'm currently engaged with, and I've realised that according to my own frameworks they should probably consider me to be a bad customer.
This company provides regular water deliveries to me, which is essential in Thailand due to the unsafe tap water.
I live on the 15th floor of a gated building, so it is a pain for them to deliver to me.
I have an odd, and relatively low value, order.
I believe I may be the only customer of theirs in the entire building.
I message them much more frequently than I would like, and I am a little snippy with them sometimes.
It all adds up to a customer that might not be worth their time or effort.
If I were them, I would have fired me as a customer by now.
Normally, I consider myself a good customer. So why do I think I'm a bad customer in this case?
Their business model requiring high customer geographical concentration aside, I currently believe the main issue has come from a lack of clarity.
This company has let me down multiple times - failing to deliver our regular order without any kind of notice - and I'm often unsure about their rules, procedures, and prices. Consequently, this lack of transparency has made me somewhat frustrated and more demanding as a customer.
This ties in well with something I often work with clients on - you train your customers with every interaction; how quickly you respond to emails, what you say, whether you are 'flexible' and offer discounts or special measures, etc.
I constantly remind myself that I am at least partially responsible for creating the cultural norms in my various personal and professional relationships.
If I find I have a lot of bad customers, I find it useful to reflect on what part I have had to play in making them bad.
How are you complicit in creating the conditions you say you don’t want?
That is a question that reminds me of one of my favourite comedy songs of the last two years. Enjoy Tom Cardy.
💡 Quote I'm pondering
“Leadership is about doing the right things, management is about doing things right” Peter Drucker
If you are the business owner, you are a leader. Your core job is to make sure you and your people are doing the right things. Focus effort on the high value tasks.
I shared this in my Work Smart Wednesday newsletter. Want the full set of related insights? You can read them here: https://worksmartwednesday.substack.com/p/work-smart-wednesday-november-15
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