The client calls you to one side and says

"I'm not entirely happy about Pat [one of the members of your consultant team working on the project]. Could you consider replacing him?"
Pat is an essential member of the team but seems to have got off to a bad start with this client.
How do you handle this?

The response to this depends on the political climate. Is the client one that likes to throw his weight around? Is the client one that would complain only in the extreme?

Respond using a joint problem solving approach. Remember that the client has come to you with a solution to an unstated problem. You need to clarify what the problem is in the first place and establish what the best solution is. If the answer is to remove Pat, then the client has to be clear of the impact of the removal on the project. Pat may also want to have a say in this too.

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