When I was younger and starting in the business of advertising and advising clients of what to do with their media investments, I was taught that "clients are God" - in the same way that for them "consumers were kings and queens" and "customers are always right".
I didn't have any objections then. I was 19. I was on my first account. And the first major account I handled was McDonald's in Manila - who I would say were one of the best clients in the world.
It was baptism by fire - and I stayed (willingly, I should add) at the office till midnight or 2am to finish presentations and reports in an office that was yet to link their ad monitoring service with their ratings services. I had to develop 5 media plan options for them.
And I did gladly do so - because I loved McDonald's - as a client, as a brand.
In my senior year, whilst I was doing my thesis and my overnight cases for Abnormal Psychology, they would allow us to buy only one cup of coffee, have refills, and stay for hours in their store right across the university and a few blocks away from my apartment.
I loved them.
Then my agency resigned McDonald's - in my viewpoint, it was "wrongful termination", if there was such a thing.
I would admit I cried when we resigned McDonald's and even considered moving to the company that took over the business then.
I had another client that I loved so much because of their honesty - PepsiCo Philippines. The client was fierce, demanding, and demanded nothing but perfection - from spellings to grammars to the strategic approach. But the lead client - the Country Marketing Director, MSNarciso - knew how to appreciate people. She would treat us out for dinners, drinks, and impromptu parties. It made it all worth it. They didn't have delusions of grandeur that they were better than Coke - they knew they were number 2 and they were struggling. Yet they yearned to be the best - to be the number one - to be profitable - to be seen not as the underdog, but as the fighter that they truly were and that they truly lived.
When I moved to Vietnam, I worked with Nestle's Portfolio - and again, I met a set of clients who were really demanding. But again, I was willing to take over the most menial of tasks (e.g., photocopying reports, typing broadcast orders in Vietnamese - ensuring I got them letters right in spite of not knowing what they meant, faxing broadcast orders and memos) just to get things right and on time. Why? Because they acknowledged my team's efforts - that we were undermanned and lean yet in their eyes, we were one mean team that was ready to protect their interests. Again, appreciation notes, emails, and impromptu parties - and even training programs to teach us what they believed in as a company and expand my team and my own knowledge of marketing and supply chain management.
MasterCard Southeast Asia was again another client that I really loved working with. Again, very demanding, perfectionist, with tight deadlines and with briefs that are not perfect. But again, they share their successes - and failures - with us. Drinks post-campaign, nice short emails acknowledging what we have done, recommendations to their partner-banks, "positive word of mouth". I just love them to bits.
And MSN - 24hour reverts on requests? No problem. Within the same day data-mining and chart collation? No worries. I have mastered Excel(R) and PowerPoint(R) enough to deliver the fastest time possible. And the short notes saying "Thanks; you're an angel!" makes all the difference. Again, I believe in their brands and their vision of their future. In fact, I share their vision of the future - of Software as a Service - and their realistic view that "search is a problem area; help us fix it".
I have been blessed to be honest. Working with clients that have pushed me to the limits (and to the verge of tears, sometimes) has been a blessing. Of course, it's not always rosy - like when I get grilled for not doing my due-diligence and for looking for escapes and quickies and cut-corners. And I take responsibility for that.
I have only fired one client in my entire career: And it was a decision that I got an earful from my boss - but an action for which I took a stand for.
There was this client that refused to believe any research that was conducted by third party research, that continually challenged the recommendations we've made after having gone through 15 revisions of a measly 500'000USD budget (which don't mean anything in the market). And they even demanded that both Client Services Director and me, the Media Head, to be present in the meetings.
In the final meeting, we had a cordial argument (if there's such a thing) on revision number 16 of the media flowchart (yes, not the strategy - the frigging flowchart!). Whilst she - the client was babbling - I was calculating the revenues that we were going to lose if I walked away from this client now. We were on a 1% commission for some strange reason - a compensation scheme that I inherited from my predecessor's predecessor. The revenues: 5'000USD - for one whole year
After double-checking this figure with the Finance Director who was just in the adjacent room, I told the client that "we can't seem to find any solution for you; I suggest that you look for another agency who can meet your needs. Obviously, we are not getting what you really want to achieve for the brand - and that we cannot deliver. My best professional advice for you is to just call for a pitch now - and rest assured, we will help you craft the pitch brief. It's just that, we won't participate in the pitch anymore."
The client was taken aback.
The Client Services Director was surprised - but I slipped her a note that said "lost revenues: 5'00USD - not even enough to cover your and my time". So she also changed her tone.
She tried explaining what she wanted again - which didn't really help because she really couldn't pinpoint why this media plan is wrong and why the creative executions which were merely adaptations from a global material was wrong.
But we stood firm.
We ended the meeting cordially. I started briefing my team to prepare the handover and do it in 2weeks' time. I started working on a pitch brief - a full brief that she never knew how to prepare, as well as a list of agencies who could take on her business. I called all my contacts - my competitors - and advised them to expect a call from her and to please treat her business well; she's just confused. Finance started to close her accounts and chase for unpaid bills that we had to foot in her behalf.
We sent her our resignation letter together with the brief, the handover plan and the timelines, and her decision-points, together with the invoices for more the payments to media vendors.
We never heard from her again.
I got the beating from my Managing Director and the Regional Managing Director - on why resign a client when we were in the red? Well, honesty" If by revision 10 we can't deliver what she wants and she can't tell us why it is still wrong, we will never get it right. I would rather that I used my time and my team's time on something else - perhaps, focusing on my bigger clients and be a better team for them.
I offered to pay half of the lost revenues of 5'000USD if they feel I was in the wrong. Honestly, I was going to make not just a principled stand on my decision - but also stake my money on my decision.
I have always believed that agency people or suppliers - whoever they may be, whatever service they may be providing to the company or to any firm - should be treated as partners. Even cleaning companies should be treated as partners. Even construction firms and construction workers should be treated as partners.
With respect. As humans. With civility. With honesty.
Money, profitability, revenues are important and all good. But once they start treating me or my team or my other partners in the firm as crap and less than human, they don't deserve us.
I wonder - how many agencies and companies feel the same way?
This post was inspired by this entry from INSIDECRM.Com: Here's the link for those of you who have the guts and the balls to stand up for the human in you and your team, to stand up for people who cannot stand up for themselves, to make a stand for decisions that may be controversial and could cost the firm some money. If indeed people and talent come first, then yes: Firing clients from hell should be an option - it should always be an option.
Here's the link: Top 10 Ways to Fire the Client From Hell - Inside CRM.
