How to Filter Out Bad Computer Repair Clients

Problem clients can suck the life out of you. Sometimes you have to fire them, but what if you could avoid them altogether?  Wouldn’t it be nice if they came with big warning signs:  fragile and handle with care! We can’t guarantee that, but we can put the odds in your favor by listening to the language the client uses early in the interaction.

“How Much Do You Charge for…”

When that’s the first statement out of the client’s mouth, you’ve got someone who is price shopping.  They aren’t questioning your expertise or the ability to solve the problem; they’re leading with a price.  They might start with a hello, but within the first five seconds, they’re asking about price.

If you don’t mind people who are looking for the rock-bottom price, go for it.  However, we’ve advised against going for the lowest price.  If you quote them a price, they’ll possibly continue to shop around for someone cheaper.  They’re the bad client who questions every charge on your bill. They’ll see each invoice as an invitation to negotiate.

To keep that client in check, pun intended, you’ll need to be clear and firm about your charges. When you provide an estimate, remind them it is a guess. If you offer them terms for payment, don’t give them any leeway.

“How Soon Can You Be Here?”

Like the price-conscious client above, they’re not leading with quality or reliability, they want expediency. Even if you confirm a time, they’ll cancel if they find someone who can be out there sooner.  They’re the bad client least likely to be loyal to your business.

I had one of these just last week.  The client hired me for a job the next day.  I then was checking Thumbtack and noticed they placed a bid a few hours earlier.  I saw another tech responded after I confirmed their appointment.  Sure enough, I got a cancellation call.

I won’t bend over backward to run out to a new client who first asks about expediency. They’ll expect it, and the minute I can’t be right over they’ll drop me for another technician.

If I decided to take on this client, I’d quote them my average response time.  If It takes me 48 hours to schedule a client, that’s what I’ll tell the client.  That keeps their expectations reasonable.  If they decline to schedule or cancel, I know where their loyalties lie.  I can always say something opened up in my schedule and be out there sooner.

“I Fixed It, But it Still Isn’t Working!”

Let’s avoid the logical fallacy in that statement and move on to what the bad client was trying to communicate.  They are a do-it-yourselfer and thought they fixed the problem, but didn’t.  They’re the type of client who will call you when they are in over their head. They’ll put the mess in your lap and say “fix it” like you’re a magician.  Sometimes these clients are both price-conscious and time-sensitive: “I tried fixing this myself because I needed it fixed right now and I was trying to save money.”

Don’t bother telling the bad client they should have called you first; they know that.  This client, if you decide to take them on, needs to know the terms of your engagement.  Either you fix the problems, or they do, there is no in-between.

Your first thought might be to be that hero who saves the day. That approach might work until the client “fixes” it again and then blames you for it being fixed, but still broken.  They’ll wonder why they even paid you and they’ll demand a refund or adjustment of the bill.

“We Fired Our Previous Support Company”

This client could be awesome, or horrible, depending on why they fired the last provider.  You can’t just leave that answer sitting out there without further probing.  You might kindly ask who that previous company was – but don’t be surprised if they decline your request.  If they say who the company was, you may not need to ask the next question.  If you’d fire them too, then the client is being reasonable. You might want to survey the competition every so often.

The tricky part is if the bad client fired them for one of the reasons we mentioned above: price, expediency, or competency.  The worst phrase you can hear from this client is “The previous company didn’t know what they were doing.”  Of course, why would the client need to hire a support company if they had enough knowledge to evaluate technical competency?  They’d just fix it themselves, but then it still doesn’t work.  Other phrases like “they charged too much” or “they didn’t respond fast enough” are signs of a demanding or price-sensitive client.

“[Insert Horrible Client Here] Referred Me To You”

When you ask someone for a referral, it’s because you trust your friends and their judgment.  They have similar interests and values as you.  That’s why when a difficult (or fired client) refers you to a friend, it’s time to run for the hills.  If someone values the advice of a difficult client, they probably have similar values and demeanor.  If you don’t like the client doing the referring, you probably won’t like the client referred to you by them.  If the client doesn’t offer a referral name, you should ask “How did you hear about us?”

One of the best phrases a difficult client used on me was they were going to tell all their friends how horrible I was.  Good!  She was shocked.  My rationale is anyone who respects her judgment and opinion isn’t anyone I want as a client.

Cautions and Caveats

These are of course generalizations.  Not every client who makes these statements is going to be difficult.  Even if they are, you might pride yourself on difficult clients.  As long as you know what you’re getting into, that’s your decision.

Written by Dave Greenbaum