Ghosted By A Client: A True (Horror) Story That Cost Me Thousands
This memory makes me cringe.
And the more service based business owners I speak with, the more I realise how common this dirty, cowardly practice is.
As you may know, I own a creative communications agency, KK&O. Most of our clients are absolute superstars and we adore them greatly.
But every now and then, along comes a snake.
I umm’ed and ahh’ed about whether I would name and shame this ex-client – and I’ve decided that I will.
Why should businesses who are wronged be expected to stay silent? Especially if you deliver outstanding results and are never paid a dime.
This story is about an event promoter (peep them here) who came to us for a specific project. The project was to manage the PR for an intimate speaking show with global sporting superstar, cricketer Brian Lara (widely regarded as the world’s best batsman).
Sounds like a great gig right?
Let me make this very clear before I get to the shredding:
Brian Lara was an absolute gem.
It was the promoter who was an unprofessional coward.
Firstly, let me set the scene.
The promoter strung us along for months and months about other shows, with all kinds of promises and completely and utterly wasted our time and resources. I’m talking dozens of phone calls, emails, in person meetings…. the contact was non-stop.
So, I already had a gut feeling about this ‘all talk, no walk’ bloke.
One day, Adam (ex-client), called requesting urgent PR support for a confirmed show ‘An Intimate Evening with Brian Lara’.
‘Finally!’, I thought.
Something that’s actually happening.
And here is the lesson I learned the hard way:
Never, ever, EVER start work for a client without payment up front.
Adam was insistent that he would pay us once the money from ticket sales had cleared into his account. (Lie).
This kind of behaviour now concerns me gravely.
In fact, run a million miles if someone ever says that they’ll pay once the work is complete.
But, me being me and wanting to be ‘accommodating’ (ie. a straight up fool), said ‘no worries!’, and began hustling my ass off to secure all the PR I could.
We secured loads of broadcast coverage from Channel 7 and Channel 9, in-studio interviews with major radio networks such as Triple M, double page spreads in several national newspapers – not to mention a live cross with the TODAY show in primetime.
The results were outstanding.
And guess what happened next?
When it came time to pay our invoice, Adam went radio silent.
My phone calls went unanswered, my emails never received a reply.
He went completely off grid.
Eventually, after weeks and weeks of chasing, we threatened legal action. He rang with a grovelling apology, citing every excuse under the sun with the promise of “it’ll be paid next week”.
18 months later and we are still waiting.
He ghosted us.
And I can tell you why he thought he could get away with it:
Because I’m a female and he played on my good heart and personable nature.
For people who conduct business in this way, it makes me think about their values in general.
Because guess what?
Your professional and personal values are interchangeable.
You can’t be a good human in your personal life, and an asshole in your professional.
You’re one or the other, but never both.
Sadly, this practice of ghosting is all too common, especially in service based industries like PR, business consulting services and the like.
I’m sure some of you reading this are nodding your heads in agreement.
For those people who do conduct business in a shady way, it makes me wonder what their parents taught them.
I know what my Mum taught me: She taught me to have upstanding values, to maintain self respect and to do unto others what you would have them do to you.
But, I’m guessing Adam and others like him think they are exempt from listening to their mothers.
But where does this leave people like you and me?
How do we hold these people accountable?
Since when does not paying for services completed become acceptable?
Why are expected to simply ‘cut our losses and move on’?
Why should Adam and people like him get off scot free?
IN THE REAL WORLD, IF YOU WALKED INTO WOOLWORTHS, STACKED A TROLLEY FULL OF FOOD, WALKED OUT WITHOUT PAYING AND TOLD EVERYBODY TO GO FUCK THEMSELVES, DO YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?
You’d be arrested for theft.
Likely, fired from your job.
Banned for life at that premise.
You’d be held accountable.
Because that is what happens to rogue assholes who think they can do whatever they want.
Yet, for Adam and people like him, they can get away with this, simply because our ‘groceries’ are our time and skillset, and they play on good people with good hearts.
This isn't just bad business — these are bad people. And they don't deserve your business or your energy – unless of course you’re writing a blog post and putting these snakes on ghetto blast ;)
Word travels fast.
And so does your reputation.
And Adam, if you’re reading this?
Kiss my successful ass.
