How Do You Deal With A Difficult Client?

In this blog post, we’re going to cover how to deal with a difficult client. Don’t you just hate dealing with abusive clients? If so, you have come to the right blog post, because we don’t put up with that around here. And we’re going to show you how to go from chaos to calm right now. 

So, what are the 14 steps that are required when dealing with a difficult client? Why do they do what they do? It’s really helpful to understand that actually, and how can you protect yourself? We’re going to cover that all. Let’s go.

I want to let you know that I do have some experience with this.

My Experiences Handling Difficult Clients I have worked for a lot of different clients, on a lot of different projects, and now as the CEO of Elevate, I get to work with a lot of general contractors and building owners. So I know what I’m talking about, and I’ve seen a lot of examples of clients who attempt to push and abuse the contractor—either intentionally or not. And these are the steps. We’re not going to waste any time, we’re just going to get right into them.

Some of the first steps that I’m about to tell you are pre-emptive, but if you do have a client that needs to be managed because they’re a little bit toxic, we’ll get into those at the end of the 14.

Step 1: Understand Your Client and Know Their Needs The reason I mention this first and foremost is because a lot of the behavior of a toxic client—and it doesn’t mean it’s right—is because they don’t feel understood or listened to. One of the first things you can do is really, really connect with them. This is probably best done, no, definitely best done, early on in the design and pre-construction phase. Teaming before you actually start the project is crucial, so you can identify the conditions of satisfaction with the owner and designers and start to build a cohesive team. Doing this sets you up for a higher likelihood of success. No, this won’t fix all issues, but it’s definitely somewhere to start.

Step 2: Take Care of Your Client’s Needs—In Spite of Human Nature Humans are emotional; humans will do what they do, and there are systems they fit into that we must understand. You need to take care of your client’s actual needs—the ones that are right, contractual, honest, moral, and ethical. For example, if your client asks you to start the project before they’re ready, that should be a no. If they ask for unsafe things, cutting corners, or trade stacking that fatigues crews, that should also be a no. The customer is right when it’s within contract provisions and doesn’t harm anyone.

Step 3: Understand Contractual Requirements You need to understand the contractual requirements to stay in balance. Be on top of your game—respond to requests timely and stay on top of your schedule, quality, safety, and costs. Doing your part well prevents escalation of toxicity in a difficult relationship.

Step 4: Look Deeper into Feelings Try to understand where your client’s emotional reactions are coming from. If you get to the root cause, you might solve the real problem and not just the symptom.

Step 5: See the Problem from Their Point of View Connect with them from their perspective, and act as if you’re an extension of that owner.

Step 6: Build a Team Through Difficult Situations Rally the team, build trust, engage in healthy conflict, set goals, and hold each other accountable.

Step 7: Find the Right Person to Communicate with the Client If all else fails, find someone within your organization who can calm the situation and manage the relationship effectively.

Step 8: Hold to the Right Stick to doing what’s right—hold to your schedule, avoid cutting corners, and don’t compromise safety.

Step 9: Shield Your Team from Distraction If you’re the superintendent or PM, shield your team from the negativity and toxicity of the client.

Step 10: Shield Your Team from a Toxic Client’s Representative If necessary, manage the contract to protect your team from a toxic owner’s representative.

Step 11: Set Boundaries If the client crosses the line, set firm boundaries and communicate the consequences if the behavior continues.

Step 12: Stop Working for Them (if Necessary) If the situation doesn’t improve, you may need to consider stopping work for that client.

Step 13: Never Start Doing the Wrong Thing Due to Manipulation Always hold to what’s right, even if it’s difficult. Don’t compromise on safety, ethics, or legality.

Step 14: Protect Yourself and Your Team At the end of the day, always do the right thing, and protect your team from undue harm.

I hope this helps you navigate difficult client relationships while maintaining your professionalism and protecting your team.