How do you get rid of "bad" users?

If it's a nice customer who just sends in too many support tickets, just be honest with them. You don't feel like your tool is a great fit for them and think they'd be better served with another.

If they're a rude customer, try setting up a code of conduct for your support channels. Put it in the footer of every email reply sent, in the initial email sent out to new customers, etc.

The next time they're rude, point them here and say you think it's best for everyone to part ways. Give them refund of their last payment proactively; they'll be much less likely to give you a bad review online, harass you on Twitter, etc.

Most importantly! Make sure you do a quick analysis of all your "bad" customers and what made them a bad fit. Use those traits to integrating vetting on your website, in the sign up process, etc, so those kinds of people won't sign up in the future.

• Have too many rude customers? Make sure everyone has to check a box during sign up that says, I understand you only work with friendly customers and that harsh communication won't be tolerated.
• Have too many customers sending in tons of support requests? Make sure everyone has to check a box during sign up that says, I promise to search the Help Docs for answers to my questions before sending in a support request.

This seems simple, but you'd be surprised how effective this has been for me.

At the end of the day, you want to make sure customers who take a ton of support or are rude don't sign up in the first place.

But... the BEST way to avoid lower-quality customers is to raise you prices. People who are willing to pay more are less likely to churn, require less support and are in general much easier to work with.

P.S. Feel free to check out Driftly if you want to try integrating product tours into your platform! Our customers have found that giving folks a little tour makes onboarding a breeze, helps with new feature adoption AND minimizes support requests.

Think of it like a lawn. To get rid of all the weeds, you need thick and healthy grass.

The more engaged and satisfied your customers are, the easier time you'll have getting less satisfied / foot halfway through the door type users off your platform.

I would challenge the definition of "bad" here being people who open support requests and complain a lot. These can be dedicated users who desperately want to be heard by the product team.

If it's just negativity and net detractors to your morale and team, then perhaps set your expectations of support better. That could be through a quick email or call to ask about their recent dissatisfaction & chat through it.

There's something to learn from everyone.

Is this in a b2b setting? I don't really have those kind of customers (b2c). Also when I was working at a company where we sold various consumer software, it wasn't really an issue. Dumb users, yes.

Can you give an example of how they keep bothering you?

Email them.
Tell them that you feel that they are unhappy with your product.
Propose them to look at your nearest competitors and decide if they want to stay with you or leave.

It is a painful issue, similar to trying to avoid guests registered for your workshop or product presentation only to have a free meal/drink or for some merch, you agree to have less event visitors, but those who care about the product.
Offering customers to choose another product doesn't seem to be nice no matter how nicely you put it, and raising the price only because of this - I believe disgruntled customers happen to be in any price range.
The idea of vetting can be really helpful, if it's not to the detriment of user experience when a person applies to purchase, and if it doesn't cause customer churn. For example, checking in advance how many bad reviews this customer wrote about other companies as well would be really great. Vetting is even good in such issues as verifying an original card holder, so that the company could avoid fraud-related situations, when a customer sues the company for accepting some payment for the product this customer never made.

I structured my business so I could "fire" customers, but it's only a few. Most leave on their own. I think it's really important to get intelligence on why they are upset and whether it's something that will benefit other customers to address. But, I'm in B2C and it's just much less of an issue.

There’s something specific that makes them a bad fit. Create a policy that describes it, let all users know the date it will go into effect, and enforce it.

An idea that might work: Just say you have a bug for their account, refund them and tell them you'll get back to them.