The decision to fire a client is never an easy one. Regardless of how good you are or how great you feel the service is that you provide, there will always come a time when you need to fire a client. Whether it's because they are consistently late with payments, not respectful of your services or your team, or it simply isn't a good fit, you don't want to burn bridges. So here are some tips to make a difficult situation an amicable one for both parties.
GAIN CLARITY. Whether you're firing them or it's an agreed-upon decision, make sure that you clearly communicate that the services are ending and the date they are effective. Be clear about who is responsible for all work after the end of service date. This will prevent any misunderstandings around who should be doing what.
OFF-BOARD THEM. There is so much focus on how to onboard a client but no one talks about a proper off-boarding process. Create a step-by-step process and communicate it to the client. In addition to the date the services end, this process should outline what happens to logins and access to accounts, access to their documents that may be in your client portal, Dropbox, or Google Drive folder and when and how the SAAS app subscription billings are done. I even include the pricing they will have to assume once these subscriptions are turned over to them because they are often higher than what they were paying before they came on-board. I typically put all of this in writing so that it serves as a disengagement letter.
GIVE REFERRALS. Regardless of the reason you are firing them, it always comes back to the fact that "it's just not a good fit." But we still want to leave them with a good taste in their mouth while also protecting our name and brand from any bad-mouthing. So if they have not already retained someone new, I will give them three referrals to research. This is my well of helping them find someone who is a good fit. And not just any ole referral; referrals that I think match their personality or industry or some other thing that I know about them. They will remember this always and if by chance they cross paths with someone looking for a good bookkeeper they will think of you.
COMMUNICATE. When the reasons for firing a client are fueled by hurt or anger, don't be quick to say forget them or let them figure it out on their own. Always keep the communication lines open to answer any questions they may have about the transition.
Remember, a good off-boarding experience is just as important as the onboarding one. If you follow these tips, it will ensure that your now ex-clients experience will be one to remember.
Author Bio: Sherrell T Martin is the founder and CEO of Nitram Financial Solutions, an award-winning outsourced financial management company based out of National Harbor, Maryland. They support growing and scaling healthcare consulting businesses and digital strategy firms with managing the financial health of their businesses so they can find the money leaks, increase cash flow and maximize profits. Under the guidance of Sherrell’s proprietary system, 4 Pillars of Financial SuccessTM, they help businesses create efficiency within their financial operations so their clients can focus on managing and maintaining positive cash flow.
Since 2012, Sherrell and her team have provided outsourced accounting, bookkeeping and consulting services as well as training and support in Quickbooks and other accounting software applications. Over the years they have worked with businesses in many industries but decided to land on healthcare consulting because of Sherrell’s personal interest in behavioral health and digital strategy firms out of her love for creativity.
Her company is 100% virtual company with clients throughout the United States and a combined 48 years of experience in both public accounting and corporate finance. Nitram is a certified Minority Business Enterprise and Small Business Enterprise in the state of Maryland as well as a Certified County Based Business in Prince George's County, Maryland. They are also a current member of the Prince Georges County Chamber of Commerce.
Sherrell is a Goldman Sachs alum, was named a Top 50 Cloud Accountant by Hubdoc, is an Advanced Certified QuickBooks Pro-Advisor and member of the Intuit Trainer Writer Network. Through this network, she is able to provide financial management education through speaking and teaching with companies such as Facebook, Staples and Chase.