Ask HN: Our client is abusive, What can we do? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Our client is abusive, What can we do?

#21

Post by malux85 » Sat, Jan 16, 2021, 8:38 AM UTC

suhair wrote: post #4

stphn2013 wrote: post #3

Keep records of every communication with this person, all emails, phone records, etc Have an urgent meeting and discuss your concerns. Make it clear their abuse is not appropriate and will not be tolerated. Tell them you will have no option but to discontinue the project if they continue.

We are collecting all the videos and text abusive communications now. Have a ton of them now. We are looking for a way to strongly communicate to the client that we will not be tolerating this. We prepared an email but that that seems trivial compared to what he has done through his text and video communications.

Email is inappropriate because its easy to "hide" behind an email. Video call them and enumerate his abuse list while looking them in the eye. Quote their language word for word back to them and if this doesn't embarrass them straight away ask them to justify the language and then whatever they answer, tell them its not acceptable.

Put the spotlight directly on them and reveal the behaviour unambiguously - video call, not email.

Re: Ask HN: Our client is abusive, What can we do?

#22

Post by tubularhells » Sat, Jan 16, 2021, 9:15 AM UTC

46Bit wrote: post #18

> what will be the best way to escape from such a mess? You have a few options: 1. Do nothing. Your most employable staff will leave to escape the abuse. 2. Try to manage the relationship. For instance have all communication go through one person who is empowered to terminate the contract. Set boundaries that if they behave abusively you will terminate the contract. If the client is heavily reliant on you, consider r…

What he said. If you don't act, people who make to your company will leave. Fire the client before you need to hire new people.

Re: Ask HN: Our client is abusive, What can we do?

#23

Post by andix » Mon, Jan 18, 2021, 12:18 PM UTC

What I would do:

1. Protect your people, only let the most resilient people deal with this customer, and only if they are okay with it. In our old company we had an ex-military officer, who would've been capable of dealing with such people and strong language.

2. Try to set boundaries: "This language/those arguments are not helpful. Let's end this meeting/call now and continue tomorrow/next week", then hang up or throw him out.

3. Get the hell out of the contract, ASAP. Never do business with him again.

Re: Ask HN: Our client is abusive, What can we do?

#24

Post by PEOPLEgetoff » Mon, Jan 18, 2021, 3:25 PM UTC

You can allow your client to express their displeasure, but I draw the line when it gets personal.

There’s a limit to how much you can and should take. The client can yell and scream all they want about the product. But if they cross that line and turn it into a personal attack, I step in and put an end to it.