Incompetent client...

[E Storey]

I have an incompetent client. He believes he is a business guru and anything that goes wrong is the fault of general market conditions and not his mismanagement.

The banks are just being plane old meanies by refusing to lend him yet more money, and paying tax (NICS, PAYE & VAT) does not seem to apply to him! He does not need to chase customer debts and prides him self on customer service by sending 2 staff on an hours round trip to deliver a £5 product (gross profit £2).

Reminders, bills, invoices, summonses are lost in a heap on his desk and he spends money on stupid stuff and wastes more on stupid mistakes like letting an account remain 20p overdrawn for months on end.

I would love to confiscate his cheque book and insist he puts all the post unopened into my tray. I could then priorities payments, including his wages deducting the personal stuff he has bought (but deluded himself does not add up to much).

My partner says that's overstepping the mark. His accountant says that's exactly what I should do. But how do I go about persuading someone to give me control of their business? Surely I don't charge enough for that!

 

[cautiouscapy]

I don't have much to add...apart from, aren't you going to be one of the things he "blames" when it all goes wrong?

Somehow you need to manage him so this doesn't blow up in your face. Perhaps a more experienced member can make some suggestions.

 

[E Storey]

yeah it's a people management thing I guess, and knowing when to say no!

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

with respect IMO an open forum is no place to criticise a client

 

[E Storey]

I didn't give any names, it could be one of many....

These are the type of people that could benefit most from my services but there's the people management aspect of it! how do I get him to do as he's told? He's paying for my advice...

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

with respect IMO an open forum is no place to criticise a client

I agree entirely.

Bear in mind these posts are public - they may be seen by the client you are refering to, by existing clients and potential clients

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

I didn't give any names, it could be one of many....

So you think a lot of your clients are idiots then


or is he paying you to so the books? :|

Part of the skill of selling consultancy services is being able to make the client believe that they are asking you do provide a service that they think they need - not what you think they need!

It may well be the same thing but it's the way you sell 'em

 

[davek17]

He hasn't mentioned the name of the business anyway but I'd stand well clear and let his tax dodging land him in hot water. Why don't you shop him, thats surely a more ethical action in your position and even your responsibility, than trying to make money out of him?

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

He hasn't mentioned the name of the business

See I'm afraid I don't think that makes any difference and with the detail in the post I expect said client would be able to work out it was him.

 

[OldWelshGuy]

Plus other cliuents will be thinking 2 I wonder if he/she talks about me".

 

[E Storey]

No I don't think any of my clients are idiots, it's just some of them are useless at accounts!

He is actually extremely happy with my work, even going so far as saying I'm the best bookkeeper he's ever had!

He is not tax dodging, he (I) do submit returns, it's just paying them that's a bit of an issue, and this is not an area that I have control of ATM.

I guess "taking that workload off his hands" may be a better way of putting it to him than telling him he's useless!

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

No I don't think any of my clients are idiots, it's just some of them are useless at accounts!

surely the exact reason bookkeepers and accountants exist

 

[E Storey]

yeah but even so, how can you tell someone they're useless without them taking the hump?

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

At some point all of us in business will have to deal with 'difficult clients' its part and parcel of providing a service - do whatever you have to do to get it out of your system but dont put in on a public forum.

Many years ago my old boss would sit down and write the client a letter spelling out exactly how he felt etc he'd never send it once written it went in the shredder but it did the trick, made him feel better and able to look calmly at the matter and deal with it appropriately.

Dont take things too personally

Ultimately you are providing a service to a paying client its your choice, if the reward isnt worth the hassle you dont have to continue acting for them.

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

yeah but even so, how can you tell someone they're useless without them taking the hump?

you can't and IMO nor should you if you want to stay in business.

You can offer them other services which may of course help them.

I think your approach to marketing might need a little finessing

 

[E Storey]

I can just see what's going to happen now...

I get all worked up about speaking to him, go in and say look this and this isn't working you need to change it by doing this, convince myself I've lost the customer, and he goes "Yeah, I know, I'm totally rubbish at this, you should just do it all because you're great! thank you for being so up-front with me!"

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

I can just see what's going to happen now...

I get all worked up about speaking to him, go in and say look this and this isn't working you need to change it by doing this, convince myself I've lost the customer, and he goes "Yeah, I know, I'm totally rubbish at this, you should just do it all because you're great! thank you for being so up-front with me!"

or he may of course smack you in the mouth

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

I can just see what's going to happen now...

I get all worked up about speaking to him, go in and say look this and this isn't working you need to change it by doing this, convince myself I've lost the customer, and he goes "Yeah, I know, I'm totally rubbish at this, you should just do it all because you're great! thank you for being so up-front with me!"

Probably

 

[Williams lester]

or he may of course smack you in the mouth

I hear that happens a lot in Scotland!

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

I hear that happens a lot in Scotland!

I should have thought it happens a lot when ones tells a person that they are an idiot.

 

[Williams lester]

I should have thought it happens a lot when ones tells a person that they are an idiot.

Depends how quick you can run!

 

[E Storey]

I should have thought it happens a lot when ones tells a person that they are an idiot.

Lol in Scotland that's just considered friendly banter... then again, so's a smack in the mouth!

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

Lol in Scotland that's just considered friendly banter... then again, so's a smack in the mouth!

oh how interesting

Luckily neither happened to me when I worked up there

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

Depends how quick you can run!

best to avoid need to run fast by not doing it IMO

 

[akirk]

Agree with a lot of what is said above...

also - and seriously - there is no such thing as an incompetent client... you are looking at it from a different perspective / from a different knowledge base / etc. so the client may not have the same skills / understanding etc.

you have a couple of choices in this situation:
- education - you need to put yourself in his shoes and work out why he is the way he is - perhaps he is not coping well with pressures / is unsure of things / etc. - there will be a reason why he acts as he does - once that reason is understood, education can take place... and this is probably outside your remit...
- ditch the client - if you are not happy with him, just say that you won't have his business and explain dispassionately why.
- accept it - and just do what he asks of you - and do it professionally

but posting it up publicly might not be the way forward

Alasdair

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

you have a couple of choices in this situation:
- education - you need to put yourself in his shoes and work out why he is the way he is - perhaps he is not coping well with pressures / is unsure of things / etc. - there will be a reason why he acts as he does - once that reason is understood, education can take place... and this is probably outside your remit...
- ditch the client - if you are not happy with him, just say that you won't have his business and explain dispassionately why.
- accept it - and just do what he asks of you - and do it professionally

and more importantly :

upselling

 

[GaryMc]

Elaine you're an ...










example to us all

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

Elaine you're an ...










example to us all

I did wonder what you were going to say there Gary

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

I did wonder what you were going to say there Gary

I can trust Gary to only say very nice things about me

 

[Tom McClelland]

Many years ago my old boss would sit down and write the client a letter spelling out exactly how he felt etc he'd never send it once written it went in the shredder but it did the trick, made him feel better and able to look calmly at the matter and deal with it appropriately.

I use that trick. We've got enough clients now that once or twice a year I'll get an email that I find offensive. That is part and parcel of delivering a complex service to thousands of customers.

I write the page-scorching response that I'd emotionally like to write... and then I delete it and write a lovely calm conciliatory response (which is usually the best way of taking the wind out of the sails of someone who is looking for a fight)

Except once, at a previous company, I'd finished writing my scorching response, and I accidentally pressed "Send" instead of deleting it. (where is the ultra-embarrassed emoticon?)

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

I have a different approach to deal with such frustration should it occur - vast quantities of chocolate & wine sort the problem out immediately

 

[Dawg]

Except once, at a previous company, I'd finished writing my scorching response, and I accidentally pressed "Send" instead of deleting it. (where is the ultra-embarrassed emoticon?)

There is a 10 second delay you can build into most email clients that helps prevent this. Gmail has it as default I think. Here is an Outlook one.


Why I know this I have no idea....

 

[Gillie]

Rather short sighted - if you head to google and just put in your business name, this thread is approx page 2 of google, so should any existing clients decided to go look you up - they of course would find this thread!

Rule of business - yes you have bad clients, but only those who have your ultimate trust should know about them - to everyone else, your clients are wonderful!

So then, you are fed up with this client - thought about approaching them with a suggested plan of working that would change some of your issues? Sell them a different way of working perhaps?