The Art of Saying “No”
Editors note: Steve writes, speaks, and consults on customer service.
Every service and sales professional faces the same dilemma on a daily basis whether customers contact them via telephone, walk in to their establishment, or correspond in writing. It is not driven by malice or deceit. Most often it is simply the natural progression of the sales and service process. Your transaction is moving ahead smoothly when the customer stops to ask a question about the product, service or company policies. Then anxiety builds up inside. You would prefer to say “Yes.”, or “Certainly, our product can do that.”, or “I can ship it today.” But you will not utter any of those phrases today because you must speak the truth. And the truthful answers are “No.”, or “I am sorry, but our product does not do that.”, or “I can not ship it today.”
The quandary is about how to say “No.” Saying “No” might make you feel unpopular or appear like a killjoy. Conveying seemingly bad news to someone else might bring to an end all of the goodwill that you have been creating while attempting to negotiate a sale or provide a service. Regardless of how a service professional might feel personally about having to say “No” to a customer, sometimes the answer must be “No.” What separates the seasoned professionals from amateurs in the sales and service business is the manner in which saying “No” is conveyed.
Steve’s Customer Service Handbook
The concept of knowing how to say “No” begins with an adherence to the fundamental principle of saying what you can do rather than what you can not do. When a service professional conveys what they can do, it keeps the proverbial door open so that the dialogue with the customer so that they may continue with their business relationship. However, when a service professional resorts to what he can not do, it threatens to limit future dialogue as well a business relationship.
A client has, with a simple phrase, heightened their service vernacular and the satisfaction of their customers. That phrase is: “Here’s what I can do.” This axiom is posted in the workstation of each of their customer service representatives, to keep it at the forefront of their mind. It produces two key benefits: (1) it keeps the door open and, (2) it gives the service representative something to say while he thinks creatively about how to respond to customer demands. When it comes to keeping customers satisfied and the door of business opportunities open, a little time may make all the difference.