Customer grading: not everyone deserves an A+.
Some clients are gold. Others are glitter-covered chaos.
Let’s start with a gentle caveat:
This isn’t about firing all your clients, going full ‘I’m a Celebrity’ and walking out of the jungle, and living off overdrafts and invoice memories.
It’s about clarity. About using a method that helps you (and your team) understand where each client sits, and how to move them up the scale if they’re willing.
Because let’s be honest…
Not all revenue is good revenue.
Not every client is a dream. Some are red flags disguised as “growth opportunities.”
Others are pure chaos, wrapped in glitter and a recurring direct debit. Sure, they sparkle, but their messy and impossible to clean up
What is customer grading?
Think of it like a school class. You’ve got A+ students who submit work early, communicate clearly, pay on time, say thank you and make your life better.
And then you’ve got the ones who forgot their homework, show up late, treat your staff poorly and think every invoice is optional.
Customer grading is the process of ranking your clients by value, fit, behaviour, and overall emotional cost.
It’s the business version of “know your worth.”
Why should you grade clients?
Because your time, energy and staff sanity are not infinite resources.
And not every client deserves the same slice of your attention pie. (There, we said what we said. Not our clients, they’re all A’s).
Grading helps you:
Focus your energy on your best and most enjoyable clients.
Spot which ones are draining your team (and energy).
Set clearer, firmer boundaries that protect your team’s well-being.
Improve service where it counts.
Reprice or realign the ones drifting into “Why are we still doing this?” territory.
What makes an A+ client?
Not just big invoices. It’s respect. It’s trust. It’s “we value your time.”
We’re talking:
💳 Pays on time
😌 Doesn’t treat scope creep as a sport
🧠 Listens to your advice
📅 Doesn’t cause panic on Friday afternoons
🤝 Respects your team (and doesn’t give them trauma)
Now compare that to:
📉 “Just a quick call” (30 minutes, 0 purpose)
📞 35 weekly check-ins about things that aren’t urgent.
😡 Passive-aggressive emails at 4:00 pm.
🚨 Unclear expectations, unclear payments, unclear why they’re still on your books
See the difference?
The grading scale (simple but savage)
Here's a summary version:
A client: Profitable, respectful, collaborative. Protect at all costs.
B client: Mostly great, minor quirks. Manageable.
C client: High maintenance, lower margin. Entering the danger zone.
D client: Drain your team. Drain your soul.
And remember: your A might be someone else’s C. Client fit is personal. Industry-specific. Season-dependent.
But Isn’t that…. harsh?
No. It’s professional. This isn’t Mean Girls. It’s margin management.
Grading isn’t about being rude — it’s about being realistic.
You’re grading them to serve them better (And serve your team better, too).
By grading your clients, you:
Provide better service to the right people.
Make smarter decisions on pricing and capacity
Give your team room to thrive (instead of hide)
Common push back & how to handle it
They’ve been with us forever! - So has my gym membership. It doesn’t mean it’s still the right fit.
You might’ve outgrown each other, and that’s okay. They might be better served elsewhere.
They pay well! - Do they really? After you factor in scope creep, 40+ emails a week, and your top team member’s emotional damage? Suddenly, less lucrative.
They’ll be upset if we say no! - Maybe. But you’ll be less upset when your staff don’t quit because of them.
What to do with lower-graded clients
Once you’ve got your grading system.
Realign: Set new expectations, pricing, and processes
Re-scope: Redefine what’s included (and what isn’t)
Reprice: If they take more to serve, they need to pay more.
Release: With grace. With kindness. And maybe with a LinkedIn recommendation on the way out.
This isn’t about the dramatic breakup. It’s about the gentle “we need to talk” conversations, backed by data.
Benefits of grading
For the business:
Better margins
Clearer focus
Healthier growth
For your team:
Less burnout
More meaningful work
More time for clients who actually appreciate them
For your clients:
A service that matches their needs
Realistic expectations
And if they’re C/D? A chance to grow… or go
Customer grading isn’t harsh. It’s smart. It’s healthy.
And it might just be the business version of therapy you didn’t know you needed.
It’s clarity for your business. Protection for your people. And yes, better results for the clients who truly value what you bring.
So…
Build your grading system.
Be honest (but kind) about who belongs where.
Optimise how you serve everyone and how much you serve them.
Because:
Some clients are gold. Others are glitter-covered chaos.
And you’re in the business of working with gold.
Want help building a customer grading system? Let’s make your client base as brilliant as your business deserves.
