When you have only just started your business, you might feel you should take any custom you can get.
Yet, you also need to bear in mind that dealing with an unhappy customer could cost you far more than if you went without them in the first place.
You can’t always choose your customers
Let’s say you open a cafe. You would need to be extremely careful about refusing to serve someone because it could easily lead to accusations of discrimination. Even if you have a reason you consider valid for not serving someone, such as they appeared to have had too much to drink, they may believe you have other motives for turning them away.
Things are a bit easier when dealing with other businesses
While you could still face a discrimination lawsuit if another company believes you are refusing to supply them because of their race, religion or other protected class, it’s less likely to crop up than with an individual customer. Most business owners pick and choose which other companies they work with anyway.
Some clients may be worth avoiding
Taking on a new customer who you feel will be difficult is, in effect accepting the fact that you may end up in court. Before you agree, you’ll need to have a clear contract that eliminates this risk as much as possible or at least clarifies to a court that despite what the other party might claim, you were fulfilling what you had agreed to do.
There’s a lot of money to be made working with exacting clients, and sometimes the bad things you hear about them being difficult are not true. Just make sure you get legal help to create contracts that protect you if things don’t work out.