What to do if you have a bad client
Let’s get this out in the open:
Not every client you work with will be a dream client.
As much as you’ll love designing a business that suits you (and as much as you’ll enjoy the process of signing clients) you might find yourself working with a client who’s less than ideal.
If you were in a job and you had a bad boss, you’d probably stick it out for a while and then start interviewing elsewhere.
BUT as a VA you ARE the boss - which means you can decide exactly who you work with! So if you have a bad client you can decide you don’t want to work with them.
Now, I’m not saying you should start firing your clients left right and centre. There are a few things you can do first before you get to that stage, and many of the things that bug you can be fixed. Let’s dive in and have a look at a few options when you have a bad client:
Step 1: Work out what it is that’s making you feel that way
Does your client pester you with messages asking for updates? Do they pay you late? Do they ask for things that are well outside the scope of your agreement? Or are they just a bit rude and disrespectful?
To decide whether you want to carry on working with a client, you first need to decide what it is you’re not happy about.
Step 2: See if you can fix it
You might not need to fire a client if things aren’t quite right. Many things can be fixed with an open conversation, and sometimes when things go wrong it’s because there wasn’t enough communication in the first place.
Here are a few things you can try to fix the problem:
Constantly asking for updates? Suggest a weekly catch up where you cover off their questions. Or use a project management space and add your updates/mark as complete there
Not paying you on time? Send an informal email reminding them of your payment terms. If it happens again, tell them you’re pausing work due to your outstanding invoice and you’re looking forward to starting again once that’s settled.
Got a feeling they’re feeling a bit disrespectful? Have a check-in call and ask how they’re finding working with you and what you can both do to make the working relationship better.
There’s a caveat here. If your client is just plain rude or awful to work with (or just makes you feel miserable), don’t waste more time by trying to fix it.
Step 3: Tell them
If you decide to carry on working with your client then you can skip this step (you don’t really need to tell them you’ve decided to carry on working with them!)
But if you decide to move on, keep things simple and send an email. They’ll probably want to talk through it and ask further questions, so prepare yourself for that.
Now, I’m not going to say you MUST be honest and tell them exactly why you’re finishing up. And I’m also not going to say that you MUST do the opposite and sugar coat it. Every VA is different and every client situation is different too, and as you’re a grown up I’ll let you decide which method is best for you. There’s a lot of merit in being honest though, and as a business owner making decisions like these should feel empowering, if a little nerve racking. Ultimately you’re deciding what kind of life you want, and if letting go of a bad client is what you need to do, then be bold, make that decision and move on to the next client!
Direct: ‘I’ve really enjoyed supporting you but I think another VA would be better suited for XYZ reason. We’ve tried doing XYZ differently but as that hasn’t improved XYZ, I’d like to suggest another VA who could be better suited to supporting you’
Sugarcoat: ‘I’m afraid that another client of mine has ramped up their hours so I won’t be able to support you after X date. I’ve found another VA who I think would be a good fit….’
Step 4: Lessons for next time
We’re not always going to get things right the first time, and that’s ok. We might not even get them right the second or third time - and that’s ok too!
But we learn from our mistakes, and that’s the important thing. Here are a few lessons you might learn:
Ask questions on your discovery call form and on the call itself (so you can see if your values align and if you’d be a good match)
Invoice in advance of the work/month (so you don’t get paid late)
Have clear boundaries in place before you start working with a new client. You can actually create a ‘boundaries’ style document as an addendum to your contract which lays out how you work and anything else you want to include.
So, there you have it! Not every client will be perfect and that’s ok. Letting go of the bad ones makes space for the good ones :-)
