It's well known that loyal customers are valuable for your business. So, information technology's no surprise that we oftentimes talk about the importance of generating customer loyalty and doing everything within your ability to fulfill your customer'due south needs.

Nonetheless, when you work in a client-facing role, you lot might need to say "no" to your customers and that's difficult. You desire to do everything you can to meliorate their experience with your visitor. Merely, sometimes customers expect as well much from your business organization and ask for something y'all but cannot provide to them.

Proverb "no" might be necessary, just how you handle the situation tin impact your lesser line. In fact, 14% of customers exit because the business concern doesn't know how to handle their complaints. In this mail, we'll break downwardly what you lot can do to resolve situations where y'all can't fulfill the client's request.

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How to Say 'No' to Customers in a Positive Way

How to Say No to Customers Requests or Demands

1. Give thanks them before responding.

First matter'southward starting time: Y'all should always thank customers for wanting to do business with you lot. Information technology's very kind of them to trust your business over others. Merely as you would with whatever kind of rejection, yous should soften the blow with a 18-carat thank you lot at the beginning. This volition prove the client that you care virtually them and appreciate them reaching out to your business.

Keep in heed that genuine is the keyword here. You lot don't want your customers to feel as if you're responding in a scripted way (even if your reps are using a scripted template).

An instance of what this might audio like: "I completely empathize where y'all're coming from and just offset desire to express our gratitude for beingness a valued client and bringing this issue to us."

2. Lead with empathy.

Besides showing gratitude, it's important that your customer service representatives and success managers lead with empathy. These situations should be handled on a human-to-human being footing. Use linguistic communication like "I understand why you'd need this washed," or "I tin see why y'all'd need this."

This shows the customer that your visitor isn't berating them for asking for a sure characteristic or change (every bit long as they haven't threatened you or made unreasonable requests).

An example of what this might sound like: "This request makes a lot of sense. I understand why y'all'd demand this done."

three. Exist transparent well-nigh why yous tin can't fulfill their request.

Don't sink to lies and false excuses for why you're saying no. Instead, only be honest. Acknowledge that their request tin't exist fulfilled at this fourth dimension and explain why that is the example. Before you say no to a request, information technology's of import that your team understands why something is against company policy. If you lot don't know why you're saying no, customers tin can get even more than frustrated.

Additionally, it helps to follow upwardly your explanation with some alternative options that may help the client.

Your customer may take this well, or they may not. However, no thing their response, if you tell the truth you will always be able to explain why you lot're rejecting their asking. If you prevarication, you can quickly get exposed if the customer decides to investigate the issue further.

An example of what this might sound like: "Based on [explanation] , we can't adjust this request because [insert company policy hither]. However, there are a few solutions that I'd like to discuss so we tin move frontward."

iv. Provide alternative options.

It'south helpful to offer the customer a counteroffer if you can't fulfill their asking. Begin with offering other services that your company can provide and see if you can create a workaround to accomplish their goals. If not, wait externally to see if at that place is another company out there that can fulfill their need.

Yes, that sounds crazy, simply you should try to refer the customer to a competitor that y'all trust. Yous don't want to just reject the customer and bid them farewell. If you genuinely care nearly the customer, you lot'll help them notice another apparent pick to get their job completed.

Sending them to a competitor besides has multiple benefits for your business organization. Most importantly, the customer will feel grateful that y'all cared plenty to find them another business to which to turn. Don't feel deplorable for losing that customer equally yous couldn't fulfill their needs in the first place then they were probable to churn eventually. Even so, while you may have lost that one client, y'all ended your relationship on a positive note and avoided a potentially nasty review which could have lost yous a lot more.

An example of what this might sound like: "To make sure you get what yous needed to be done, I have a few workarounds that might help. If these don't piece of work, I know that 'Visitor X' has features that tin can assistance you lot attain what yous need."

5. Follow up most the referral.

If you end up passing on the customer to a competitor and the human relationship commences, yous shouldn't allow them get without any further communication. Then, you truly have lost their business organisation. Just because they're working with another company doesn't mean you lot can't still accept a place in their life.

Follow upwards every once in a while to check in with how they're doing working with the competitor. You can also follow up with the business, itself, to see if the relationship has been working out well. Keeping a foot in the door will evidence the customer you lot still care about them and are fix to aid if needed.

An example of what this might sound like: "Hi 'Client Name'. I just wanted to reach out to follow upwards on how things take been going with 'Company X'. Were they able to accommodate your requests? Let me know how everything is working out because we're e'er here to help when needed."

6. Ask for feedback.

One time a client has fabricated a request that y'all tin can't fulfill, it'south important to sympathize their workflow and process. Why do they need to do this job in this fashion? Is this a reasonable request that your production squad can piece of work on?

Gathering feedback and learning about your customers is the all-time way to continue to give excellent customer service and retain a loyal client base of operations.

An example of what this might sound like: "While nosotros can't fulfill that request, we'd beloved to larn more about your company and processes. Could yous fill up out this brief survey then we can send this information to our product squad?"

7. Share helpful content with the customer.

Keep in touch with the customer by sharing content with them that you know is of utilise. Enquire them if they'd like to bring together your email newsletter. Or, if you lot don't accept a newsletter, y'all tin go to the adjacent step past cultivating content specifically for that private customer.

Put together web log posts, inquiry, news articles, and more sources of information that you believe will actually benefit the client or are related to the products they use. The client volition recognize that you lot're willing to go the extra mile for them, maintaining your position on their radar.

An case of what this might sound like: "How-do-you-do 'Client Name'. I was thinking about your state of affairs and gathered a few resources that I thought might be of help. I added them to the email below. Let me know if you need annihilation else."

8. Stay connected with them.

If your customer feels comfortable with you doing so, follow them on social media such as LinkedIn. That way, you tin go on up-to-date on the happenings in their life.

Whenever something comes up that'due south related to your business concern, you tin can engage with their posts or tweets past liking, responding, or even sharing. Additionally, mention them on posts, articles, or threads that they may observe of involvement. Your continued awareness of what the customer likes to read about will further bear witness your investment in that relationship.

An example of what this might audio similar: "This is keen news, 'Customer Proper noun'. I'm glad to see things are working out for you. Permit me know if there's whatsoever fashion I tin help."

9. Reach out when y'all tin fulfill their request.

You don't desire to come on too strong by forcing them to cull between your business and the competitor to which yous referred them. However, you can shoot them a friendly email to let them know your company has fabricated some changes and that you lot'd love to help them in whatever way you can. Arrive clear that if they have whatever questions, they tin transport them your way and yous would be happy to assist. Perchance, they still demand to fulfill their original asking and y'all can discuss options moving forward.

An example of what this might sound similar: "Hullo 'Customer Proper noun'. I wanted to follow up with you about the feedback you gave us [timeframe]. That valuable feedback actually led to us making some company changes. If you're still in demand or have any questions, experience free to reach out so we tin can discuss possible options moving forrad."

Why Yous Aren't Maxim No to Customers

Many businesses still embrace the idea that "the customer is always right." Nonetheless, that ideology is mostly rooted in the fearfulness that your company doesn't know what your customers really want. Then, direction uses that slogan to mask its truthful reasoning for beingness hesitant to reject customer requests.

Of class, managers and business owners accept fears of saying no to a customer. Oft, yous want to maintain your company's reputation, your relationship with your customers, and retain all the customers you tin can.

However, yous tin can't ignore your visitor's policies or standards every time a customer has a request. Your priority is doing a good task, not doing a lot of jobs, so you should never regret saying no if it'south what's best for you, your existing customers, and the client you're working with.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in Apr 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Originally published Oct 6, 2021 2:15:00 PM, updated Oct 06 2021