Happy Halloween guys and ghouls!
I hope you’re all costumed and candied and well ready for this edition of Fireside Chats with Danny Iny, because today, we’re going to be talking about the ghoulies and ghosties and long leggedy beasties of your business: Monster Customers.
Monster Customers are something that you never imagine when you’re starting your business, but as you ramp up and gain traction you start to notice that there a tons of customers driving you crazy with neediness or greediness and generally annoying behavior.
This podcast goes over who these Monster Customers are, why they act the way they do, and how you can deal with them without losing business or your cool…
Click below to get all the gory details:
Ghoulies and Ghosties and Long-Leggedy Beasties of Business Online
Key Points
- High Maintenance Customers take up tons of your time – but they don’t usually realize it. It’s actually good because they’re interested and engaged and it’s your job to manage their expectations about what is appropriate for them to ask of you.
- Refund Hunters take advantage of your offers, but go for the refund every time – sometimes they even sign up as an affiliate so they can buy at the discounted rate. The best thing you can do with these guys is not take them personally.
- Perpetually Unsatisfied customers will buy your product or service, and then argue with you about it until the cows come home. They’ve been burned, and probably aren’t any good for your business at all.
- Sloths are customers who will buy your product or service, and then do nothing. This is another type of customer that you just have to cut loose without regret.
- Freebie-Seekers will suck all of the free advice and content out of you that they can, and never reciprocate – but they might just be a potential customer in disguise.
- It’s important to remember that all of these “monsters” are real people – most of whom don’t know the anguish they’re causing you. Treat them accordingly.
So who are the customers that drive you batty? How do you deal with them?
And if you’ve enjoyed this podcast, we’d love if you could subscribe to us on iTunes!
Megan Dougherty (@Megan_Rae_D) has been with Firepole Marketing since 2010, and after spending ages immersed in our marketing training materials, she’s excited to be creating awesome content for you to enjoy.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Great themed post
you’ve got the ‘typical monsters/customers(!)’ down pat. Your message to treat them as people is the one which resounds most strongly, and I think that’s the most important one.
Thanks Dude! I agree it’s right up there in importance – and among the easiest to forget as well.
Good explanations, most of these types have evolved from their off-line predecessors. Problem is, the “virtual” world provides the new species the anonymity to be more irritating and the medium to irritate more frequently.
The monster customers will say and demand things via email or blog comments that they would not have the gall to do face-to-face in a brick and mortar business.
All part of the on-line business and a good reminder to have our offers as concretely described as possible, with no gaps for exploitation.
That’s a good thing to keep in mind, Peter, about good description of products and services. Why invite monster customers?
Oh the Sloth really gets to me! I spend most of my time studying people in general and you probably already know I have a strong disdain for complaining. More specifically – complaining without taking action to solve it. You see, most people come to me because they have a problem. The first few calls or meetings and they can talk all day about their problems and situation. But as soon as we lay out a strategy to help them overcome whatever is troubling them, they disappear. I can never understand that one. They know they have a problem. They know they WANT a solution. They even know that the solution WILL fix the problem. But they do nothing.
I mean, how many people are not satisfied with their body in some way? Most know exactly what they need to do to get the body they want. They complain about it often. Yet, no action.
Help me understand the Sloth Megan and Danny!!!
I think when you get a sloth you’re getting someone who is, deep down – not really ready to take action, for whatever reason. Maybe they’re afraid of change, maybe they want someone else to take care of it, maybe they feel it will take too long – and maybe it’s just laziness.
The body example is a good one.
There’s only so much you can do though – you can lead a horse to water and all that.
Have you tried getting a commitment to take action from your clients before you start talking about solutions? If they refuse to give one – end of story, and then if they complain without taking action you’ve got the ammunition to stop them in their tracks.