One thing I’ve learned in business is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The problem is that sometimes the wheel keeps squeaking because you keep rewarding it.
Every retirement plan provider has that client. Everything is an emergency. Every email needs an immediate response. They submit information late, but expect you to finish early. Meanwhile, your cooperative clients send complete information, respect deadlines, and patiently wait their turn.
Guess who often gets the most attention?
The client creating all the aggravation.
I understand the temptation. You answer the demanding client first because you want the phone calls and emails to stop. It buys you some peace today. It also teaches that client exactly how to get priority tomorrow.
Eventually, your service model becomes a reward system for bad behavior.
Your good clients might not complain, but they notice when their questions go unanswered. Being pleasant doesn’t mean they don’t care about service. It means they expect a professional relationship without having to threaten somebody to get a response.
Providers need to establish reasonable response times, explain what constitutes an actual emergency, and hold clients to submission deadlines. A sponsor’s failure to send census information shouldn’t automatically push every organized client to the back of the line.
You also need to recognize when a demanding client is consuming more staff time than the fee can support. That relationship might require a pricing adjustment, a conversation about expectations, or an eventual departure.
Your employees shouldn’t spend their days being punished for somebody else’s lack of planning.
Give difficult clients professional service. Give cooperative clients the attention they deserve.
If the only way to get your best service is to become your worst client, don’t be surprised when more clients start behaving that way. You taught them that the approach works.