Better Ways of Dealing with Bad Clients

Have you ever encountered bad clients while working as a virtual assistant? If not, LUCKY YOU! But along the way, you will surely encounter these types of clients and you need to know each type to be able to deal with them the right way.

If you have other virtual assistant friends or if you search on the forums, you will see lots of horror stories on “bad clients.” Some will make you laugh but if you are the one who has experienced those horror stories, you will surely be crying and may even consider leaving the industry.

Before I name the types of bad clients, you must remember that you should not allow them to interfere with your success. Consider them as bumps along the road that you need to pass through to be able to label yourself a  professional.

Here are the common types of bad clients and better ways to deal with them:

Poor /Late Payer

I think most of the people working online already encountered clients like this. They are the ones who don’t pay you what you really deserve or those who always pay late.  This is one of the worst things that can happen to you (underpaid and delayed payment at the same time).

Solution:

Talk to your client. If you think you deserve a higher salary, simply ask for a raise and explain your position. If the client doesn’t agree, just politely tell him/her that you cannot do the work at the price that he/she wants. Look for other clients that offer better compensation.

Mr. Unstable

This type of client doesn’t really know what kind of help he needs. He asks you to do something and after the finished product, he constantly asks for revisions (change the color, size, etc.). He sometimes makes you feel that you don’t have the capacity to give him what he really needs.

Solution:

Reason out! You need to let him know that it also costs you money when he keeps on changing his mind. Ask him the detailed instructions on what he really wants and after the finished product, explain to him that you did it based on his instructions.

The Talkative

This type of clients might be friendly but surely, he is wasting your valuable time telling stories unrelated to the project.  You will need to listen to stories about his pet, travel, life problems etc. Instead of working on your other projects.  This type needs a friend rather than an employee.

Solution:

You may act as a friend and an employee at the same time but he needs to know also that you have to have other work to do.  Tell him politely and let him know the message without offending him.  Don’t try to make false alibis to stop him from talking. It’s better to be honest at all times. Trust me, they’ll appreciate it more.

Panic Mode

These types of clients are always negative about the project. They think something will go wrong and you are the one to blame. If you are not that careful, your clients may spread negative vibes for you especially if  they keep bugging you about the things that might go wrong with the project.

Solution:

Just understand and try to help these types of client. May be they are just stressed out with business or deadlines.  Help them become at ease and let them know that you can help them and that you are confident that you can do the job well. I’m sure it will bring the panic level in its normal state.

Mr. Unavailable

There are some clients who are hard to reach. Once they give the project and deadline, they will disappear and suddenly show up on the given date of project submission. What if you have some questions to ask along the way? You sent messages on Skype and email, yet no answers from Mr. Unavailable.  What can you do about this?

Solution:

Before starting the project, review it thoroughly and ask everything first before saying okay. You’ll never know if you are able to contact your client once you start working on the project. Always anticipate Mr. Unavailable in every client so you can continuously work on the task even if he is not around.

I hope I gave you some insights on what we can encounter on the online battleground based on my  experiences with my past & current clients. If you do have something to add to this list? Feel free to put it on our comment section below. I will be very much happy to share it on the community.

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