When I started my first CPA practice almost 20 years ago, I started it without any best-selling books, database, referrals - nothing.  It was just me, hanging out my name on a small rented spot in an office building. One of my first clients was a very successful contractor and well-known in the community.

He gave some very interesting advice to a struggling, desperate for any clients, CPA.  He said, “Fire a client a month.”  

He went on to explain the old 80/20 rule.  20% of the people cause you 80% of the problems.  And instead of concentrating on them, spend your energy on the 20% who give you 80% of the money.  So I did it and something unexpected happened.  I suffer from the “I want people to like me” disease and I know how debillating that can be.  Because the fact is some people don’t like me and never will.  So, if instead of trying to make someone happy who can’t ever be happy no matter what - I just fire them.  

It was powerful!  It meant I got to choose!

Since that time, I’ve built and sold two CPA practices.  I started back again with a different model this past year.  And one of the things I’ve tried to do is follow a different path.  After all, if people come to me to save taxes and I am 100% certain that I can do that, how could they ever be unhappy?  What’s more the savings are always much more than the price they pay me, so there is a ROI (return on investment).  So, as long as we can deliver that savings, everybody is happy and I don’t need to worry about it!  Right?  Wrong

Money is a highly charged issue and as soon as you start talking about that and working in that arena with some people, other issues come out.  Those issues are rarely clean.  It’s not “Gee, I’m unhappy that you saved me $50K I didn’t expect and now I have more money.”  There is something in them that just doesn’t feel right about having the money.  They’re not worthy.  The world isn’t abundant.  Whatever the belief system that is getting in the way - there is a concern that it’s not right.  

So they find something to be unhappy about.  And then, we’re right back in Customer Service.  I remember once I had a client complain again and again because the envelope to them was addressed wrong.  They got the return, they got their money, but they could not let go of the fact that the receptionist had mispelled their street name when she put the label on.  

In the old days, I would have fired them.  In today’s world of “please everybody because the Internet has a long memory”, there is this crystal tower ideal that everyone can be made happy and that customer service demands are realistic and solvable.  But sometimes they’re not.