How to Handle Abusive Clients
Advice from a former agency punching bag
Television shows often glorify the lives of professionals in client service roles. Whether it’s Billions, House of Lies, or Mad Men, the main characters always seem to be jet setting in first class, eating Michelin-star dinners with clients or drinking top-shelf liquor with back-stage passes and exclusive after-party access.
Yeah…no. That’s not even remotely close to how it really works.
In certain industries, some of these things are true, some of the time. But these special, exclusive-access moments are less than 5% of the job — not 90% as shown on TV. The glossed over reality is grueling long hours spent trying to wrangle clients at the goat rodeo.
I know what reality looks like because I lived it. By lived it, I mean it swallowed my life. Ten plus years leading agency teams on massive corporate accounts. I’ve worked with some real gems. True diamonds in the rough. Some clients had an extra special talent for making life miserable for anyone in their path.
These kinds of clients can have significant negative effects on your mental health, anxiety, and even depression. When you inevitably run into a client (or even a coworker), who is unwilling to respect your feelings or boundaries, do you know what to do?
