Every business owner has faced the temptation at some point: a client comes along with obvious red flags, but you’re worried about cash flow, or think you can change them, so you sign them up anyway. At first, it feels like you’ve ‘won’ the deal. But soon, the reality sets in. Instead of fuelling your growth, these clients drain your energy, frustrate your team, and actually cost you more than they pay.
These PITA clients don’t value your work, are never satisfied because it is never about results for them. It is about control, discounts, and making you jump. You end up giving away your valuable time and energy for people who will never repay the effort with loyalty, referrals, or even respect.
But you hang on to them because you need the money more than they need the result.
By holding on to them, you block yourself from better opportunities – the clients who pay on time, trust your expertise, and rave about your results.
Letting go of a bad-fit client creates space for bigger and better ones to walk in.
Once you make the decision to move on and pull the trigger, your team thank you, the weight of the world is lifted and you can be happy that they will go and become a PITA for a competitor.
Ways PITA clients drain your business:
- Time vampires: Constant calls, emails, and ‘urgent’ requests, often at inappropriate times, that distract you from productive work
- Late payments: You’re chasing late invoices instead of building your business
- Low morale: Your team dreads dealing with them, hurting motivation and culture. They don’t respect you for tolerating them
- No ROI: They’ll never give referrals, testimonials, or repeat business – so what’s the point?
- Energy suck: They make you question your value, draining confidence and focus
Ways to spot and eliminate red-flags:
- Push for discounts: If they haggle more than they listen, it’s a sign they won’t respect your value
- Poor communication: Disorganised, unclear, or disrespectful in early interactions
- Negative track record: They bad-mouth past suppliers. Guess who’s next?
- Slow to commit or pay: If they drag their feet before the contract, won’t pay to terms or sign the direct debit mandate, expect worse after
- Trust your gut: If something feels ‘off’ in the first meeting, it usually is
The truth is, saying no is a great growth strategy. The clients you accept define the business and the reputation you build.
I always tell a client who is suffering PITA clients that although the pain may be very short term, they will reflect on what a great decision it will be in three months time.
If, like me, your business relies on word of mouth referrals and knowing you will never get a quality referral from a PITA client, they are not worth the hassle despite the money. You will never build a champagne brand working with lemonade clients.
If your sales and marketing strategy is working and your reputation is high, you should have enough leads from quality clients to not need the poor ones.
Have you suffered from this in the past and if so, how quickly did you deal with the issue?
