to need a pithy reply to this work email...

[mumto3boysHE]

I'm sat trying to respond professionally to an email just received from a potential customer. Actually, not a potential customer because I turned the work down because I thought it might be more trouble than the job is worth.
And sure enough I've received an email back responding to my polite refusal stating that if I don't want to do the work she would prefer I was just honest about the reason rather than making up an issue that doesn't exist. She apparently is picking up that my company is struggling and makes her wonder whether I would be able to do a quality job!!!!
Then she mentions that she would be recommending across social media and encouraging others to have the same thing done...
After all that, she still wants me to quote, but only if ' I feel I am capable of meeting the brief and availability so she can compare against other quotes'
I'm sitting on my hands... 🤐
I really want to ask her why on earth she would trust me to do the job because she's questioned my honesty, the viability of my company and the quality of our work!

Any ideas on how to word this better than fuck off?

Just put, than you for your enquiry. I'm sorry we are not taking on anymore work at the present time. Then file her under 'batshit'.

Do you actually need to respond again at all..?

I wouldn’t bother with a reply tbh

Either don't reply or refer to your previous email that you, unfortunately, don't have capacity to do the work. Don't get into a back and forth! They seem like the type of person who would just as easily slate you on social media as well as 'recommending others'

The delete button is your friend on this. Don’t give her any fuel. However, I’d keep the email chain meantime, just in case she comes good with her threat.

Don't reply, if you feel compelled to just a brief as per the previous email we won't be taking on this work.

In Sweet Magnolias when answering back to the town demon, Maddie repeats “bless your heart”.

Don't respond! She is showing you who she is. That is such a manipulative email - I'd avoid like the plague.

Yep, this is a 'don't respond and file under batshit' job.

You’re being provoked for a spiky and defensive reply which will not do you or your company any favours.
Swear at your computer and vent on an anonymous forum but don’t engage with this person any further, you don’t need to explain yourself.

All of this.

Due to high demand for our services we are unable to take on any further work, but thank you for thinking of us.

No reply. She will be fuming that she hasn’t gotten a response.

What reason did you give in the first response?

But don't respond, no matter how tempting. There's nothing to be gained.

I'd send one of the purposefully bland replies suggested by PP.

this absolutely.

“Thanks for your response, I wish you luck in your search for someone who fits your requirements.”

She probably has zero influence on social media, and she knows that.

She basically thinks she'll be able to get you to do the work for a reduced price (or nothing) if she threatens you. I wouldn't reply at all to her follow-up email, but if you do feel you have to I would simply say 'As I said in my previous message [repeat the reason you gave in your first one]. No amount of correspondence from you will change that, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't ask me again.' Then ignore any further nonsense from her and move on. She's nobody.

Yeah I've seen many of those. Likely hood is that she wants the earth, expects to pay peanuts and for the monkey receiving the peanuts to be eternally grateful.

Chances are she's coming back to you as she's burnt so many bridges previously that noone has responded to her request to quote so she's desperate - therefore she thinks she can bully you into doing it.

I'd ignore but file as others say incase she does go for the batshit option!

As above, ignore it. But keep an eye on your Google reviews, her SM, etc. Review the message you sent her to turn down the work to see if it could be improved ready for when you next need to use it.

If they get insistent and start following up with more emails then the one I use is, "Sorry, but this isn't the right project for me".

She's lining you up to pay with exposure/influence. You're better off out of it.

If she does start mouthing off on social media, it's handy to have a blog post handy for your own SM, website, etc. that you can put up quickly on why it's sometimes better to say no to a job when it's not a good fit for either you or the client.

I'd go with this ^^

You reply so she cannot say you ignored her email but you are polite and professional.

Someone this batshit will have little social media influence.

Don’t reply, there’s really no point

Unfortunately someone this batshit WILL do what they can so what was the original reason?

Some people can be a pain.

I'd reply with thank you for your continued interest. Unfortunately, I have a long waiting list and am not currently accepting additional jobs. Perhaps you could contact X, y and z companies.

Thank you again for thinking of me.

Regards...

That's what I do when I get the 'this customer is going to be HELL' feeling.

I can't be arsed with you so fuck off.