When the Client Is the Problem

Companies struggle to confront misbehaving clients; for sales staff, career and commission hang in the balance

In the new era of sexual-harassment accountability, companies have learned they can no longer give a pass to star employees accused of misconduct. Confronting high-dollar clients may be harder.

At many companies, client relationships are the most difficult to police – and the most important to protect. The conundrum is how to square the customer-is-king ethos with complaints, especially from women in client-facing jobs.

A...