Indeed, the first client Jernigan fired—after seven months of trying to rescue a three-year relationship that had begun to cause morale problems for Jernigan’s staff—rehired the firm two years later.
“The way we resigned had a lot to do with the fact that we were re-engaged,” says Jernigan. “We did not criticize the client’s staff, we did not point fingers, we did not accuse.” And, after blowing through two other property management firms in two years, the client’s behavior toward Jernigan’s staff has mellowed.
Likewise, Glenn made a graceful exit when she dumped her condo client, offering to continue working for four months or until the client could replace her. Five years later, she still gets occasional calls and mail about the property, which she forwards to the new managers.
“It never makes sense to burn bridges,” she says. “It’s always better to leave on a good note. It’s a major part of your reputation.”
Sharon O’Malley is a freelance writer in College Park, Md.
READY TO EXPLODE Breaking up is hard to do, even when the client you’re dumping has been dumping on your staff for months. But don’t make it worse with petty parting shots, tempting as it may be to have the last word. Follow these tips to say goodbye gracefully instead:
- Prepare for the parting conversation by documenting the problems your staff has encountered. Keep track of unnecessary meetings and phone calls, undeserved criticisms, and verbal abuses so you can justify your decision to the client.
- Resign verbally, not in writing. If your goal is to preserve your reputation and what’s left of the relationship, talk to your client in person or on the phone.
- Follow the conversation up with a letter, but don’t e-mail it. “The chance of [e-mail] being sent to someone else is very high,” says Kathi Elster, co-author of Working With You Is Killing Me, “and the big problem with e-mail is it is not always read with the same intent with which it was sent.”
- Accept your part of the blame for the failed relationship. Avoid pointing fingers; that will only lead to hard feelings and can flare tempers.
- Avoid similar situations in the future by screening—and turning away—potential clients for problems like the ones the fired client had.
- Write a 30-day “cancel” clause into every contract. It’s risky because it gives the client an out, too, but it allows either party to cancel if the relationship sours.
