Reasons to give for rejecting orders?

Problem customers are getting far too expensive

[Sunshyn]

What do other business people do when they get customers they are reluctant to deal with? You know the ones - they'll eat up every bit of free time, always expecting more and will attack a business as soon as they don't get it. It's not unusual for me to catch them in lies later on, but it's their general attitude that is the big tip-off at the start. The thing is, they are NEVER worthwhile in the long run, at least not in my experience. They cost far more just in time than 20 other customers combined and usually end out costing more money than they'd ever spend.

The latest such transaction has resulted in my getting back an excessively damaged product (to the point of having to trash it), spiteful insults, and promises of complaints being filed against my business. Why? Because I sent her check for more of my work back along with a full refund for the return, despite it's being in no way qualified for such under our return policy. The claim of what caused the damage and overall wear was insufficient to the point of being ludicrous so there was no possible way I was going to waste my time making new items for such a person to destroy. The thing is, I hadn't wanted to accept her first order and did so only because I lacked a simple, clear-cut reason to refuse it that she wouldn't try to argue into the ground. As happens most every time, I end up regretting it badly so I'm thinking I may have to start refusing orders without giving a reason. At least the ones rejected as possible fraud are easier in that aspect. Are there reasons which can be given which won't lead to wasting even more time on never ending arguments and accusations I get for trying to explain?

I feel like I should explain why I'm getting to be such a hard*ss since I'm well aware that the normal route is to suck it up and take the bad with the good. The truth is, I don't have that kind of time and energy anymore. I was injured some years back and can't even sit upright for long on my good days. I choose to work because paying my own way in life is very important to me and, almost more than that, I enjoy my work - everything from the programming to the crafting of my products. I even like the vast majority of my customers and routinely go far out of my way to make sure they're happy with their purchase. I create a unique, limited product so I could raise my prices significantly but then I would be exchanging away the type of customers I like and relate to. My business does well enough to pay my living and medical expenses, and I've little use for excess except to sock it away for my care when I'm no longer able to handle working at all.
What it boils down to is that I can't afford to keep accepting the business of those who will only drain what time and energy I have, and I'm sick to death of dealing with the kind of abuse they deal out when they don't get their way. So can anyone suggest a good way to refuse those orders without courting that abuse?

[digitalv]

I've found the truth always works ... there is nothing wrong with telling someone that you simply don't have the time to take on their business. There are only so many hours a day, you have other customers, and their needs are more than you can handle. Find someone else, maybe a larger company, who you can send those people over to so you can recommend another company to the customer you're turning away. You might even be able to work out a kick-back for yourself for sending them business :)

I know I would certainly appreciate a company being honest instead of trying to take on what they can't (or don't want to) handle and end up with second-rate service.

[Essex_boy]

DigitalV is right just tell'em your too busy.

Some people are just trouble.

[Sunshyn]

The first time I honestly told someone outright that we didn't have time to make what he asked for (never mind that the type of work was not even technically what we *do* as a business), I got a huge reprimand about our horribly unprofessional customer service. It was quite the revelation, given that I knew far too many fellow crafters who would have taken his money and never gotten around to delivering, either on purpose or because they'd bit off more than they could chew. Guess that's the "professional" way to handle it. ;-)
I still explain that to people in the case of custom design requests, and I spend far too much time explaining why and them in the direction of other crafters since they're looking for custom work rather than exact copies of my creations. Occasionally the person doesn't even get all annoyed because I turned them down.

However, I always have time to make my standard offerings. I have to. My entire business revolves around the fact that they are my unique designs, that I make them well, and do it fast enough even to suit most of the "need it now" mentality which goes with internet transactions. True, I can't afford that time to be lost without pay as happens in the case of fraud or returns...
Since I have time to make the items, I can't figure how to honestly, but nicely, explain that I lack the time to hold the hand of every overly demanding and/or condescending person when I always seem to get stuck holding the bag. So how does one say "I can't take your order because you seem like you need too much hand holding and will probably change your mind on a whim after I do all the work"?

[Essex_boy]

Easy done.

have a note on your cart/check out saying

'We are a small business employing a handful of crafts men, at peak times, due to the volume of business received, we may be unable to accept custom design projects. We do however have a trade list of recommended craftsmen in our field we would be more than happy to refer you too them.

We understand that you may find this disappointing, tough, go boil your head.

Please ask for further details.'

You might want to edit this statement...or not.

[Sunshyn]

<g> I love it Essex_boy. That's a great idea. Thank you.