After being in business for 27 years I have seen the good, the bad and the (truly) ugly when it comes to client behavior. Actions that make you feel warm and sunny, actions that make you feel sad and depressed and everything in-between.

But wait, we’re all clients too, right?  I mean we not only PROVIDE products and services, we also PURCHASE them.

I wonder how many of US are bad clients?!

• Are you slow in getting back to your business resources (i.e. web designer, accountant, coach, graphic designer, printer, etc. etc.) when they ask for your feedback and/or approval?
• Do you occasionally “lose” invoices causing payment to go out two, three months or more?
• Are you ever short-tempered or even rude to your business resources?
• Do you you ever provide less-than-complete information so that your business resources have to scramble to get things accomplished?
• Are your expectations regarding time and budget unfair?
• Are you in the habit of asking for the impossible?

Yes, bad client indeed.

Well it seems to me that if you have ever been on the receiving end of these unpleasant behaviors you should be extra careful to not act in the same manner.  Makes sense, right?

But unfortunately it just ain’t so.  I had dinner last night with someone that told me that a current client has been tremendously slow in getting back to them with his decisions.  I had an earlier conversation with a networking contact that told me that one of their clients was making “excuses” about paying their invoice.

And the list goes on.

Of course we can all have cash flow problems and yes, sometimes things get in the way of making timely decisions BUT we all should try really hard to be what we would consider a GOOD client.

Agree?