In business, winning over clients’ loyalty is crucial, and attracting more is very important, this can all go smoothly if clients don’t give one a hard time. Some business owners might feel that letting go or saying no to toxic clients will cost them their success, but tolerating toxicity could cost so much more.

According to an article by Elegant Themes, a career guide platform, toxic client relationships are more than an annoyance. They can seriously impact your quality of work, lower your overall pay rate, impede your ability to meet deadlines, and even keep you from securing new clients.

Clients in business vary in different aspects, a client is somebody who buys goods or pays for services. Companies and other organisations may also be clients.

Eric Gitego, a shoe business owner in Kigali, says that in business or in another field that provides services, tolerating anything that may hinder accomplishments shouldn’t be taken lightly.

"Toxic clients can kill your creativity, and even productivity, I have encountered them a lot in my life, we do business to provide services and in an effective way, but if there is toxicity in your way as a business owner or leader you will not able to serve all your clients effectively. Business owners and everyone that meets clients daily should learn how to set boundaries and limits when it comes to business, clients shouldn’t make feel you that they are above you,” he says.

He adds that in business people should learn how to say no unapologetically to such clients and clarify why they said no because if the toxicity is ignored, their businesses fail.

Anna Umukunzi, a business consultant in Kigali, says that in business all things happen and it shouldn’t be an excuse to let clients affect your mental health or make you fail in business.

"Toxicity can frustrate a person a lot and can get very bad when it is someone you meet on a daily basis or a person you are supposed to work with, work for, or provide a service to. As business leaders take time to learn about a business start-up, they should also learn about clients and ways to deal with them,” she says.

Umukunzi recommends learning how to say no without remorse or guilt. "Clients are always there, so saying no to some that cost you your time and sanity shouldn’t be a bad thing.”

Alain Murenzi, a tenant in Kigali, says that people in business should understand that they can’t manage toxic clients or fix them.

"Toxic clients will always be in our way, you can’t avoid them, especially when they are the only people you are looking out for. The only way to not waste your time with them is by putting up strategies whenever you encounter them,” he says.

The Small Business Site, a business guide, says that dealing with toxic clients is exhausting, stressful, and unrewarding. There are, however, some measures you can put into place to deal with them more effectively:

Assign a strong team

Toxic clients need to be handled with a combination of friendliness, firmness, and confidence. The team handling difficult clients must be made up of strong members, who are confident and clear on what needs to be done.

Breathe and keep calm

New mothers are often warned to take a step back when they become frustrated with their little ones. This is to prevent lashing out or any other behaviour they may regret later on. It’s the same with toxic clients. Many of them have no scruples when it comes to sending nasty emails, making derisive comments, or generally behaving badly.

Before sending out an equally noxious missile back to your client, rather walk away from the situation, catch your breath and calm down. Remind yourself that this is not your approach to life and work. Take the higher ground.

Fire them 

There are many reasons to fire a client, from being plain offensive to not paying you enough for all your hard work. Whatever the reason is, if a client is hindering your productivity and you’re not comfortable, then fire them.

It can be tempting to give rude clients a piece of your mind. But you have to be polite and professional when doing so, no matter how toxic your client is. You can simply tell them that you’re terminating your working relationship because it’s no longer beneficial to both of you.