Saying no with empathy 

One of the potential times when a customer will become aggressive and unreasonable is when you have to say no. When you have the power to deny what a customer wants then this can be a trigger to escalate a conflict situation. How you say ‘no’ is key to the manner in which the customer receives the information.  

Nobody likes to be told that they can’t have something, especially if we feel that we have a ‘right’ to it. Thinking back to the ‘top ten conflict management strategies’ in which we discussed some of the psychological important needs that we can satisfy. When saying no we can demonstrate, acknowledgement, empathy and options. If you were on the receiving end of these statements which approach would you prefer?

“I’m sorry Mr X I am unable to help you because of the regulations” Or “Mr X, I understand that you are upset about this, unfortunately I can’t do anything about this today, however what I can suggest is…”

I am confident that you would prefer the second approach wouldn’t you.

Think about how you say ‘No’, what is the impact on the customer and how would you prefer to be informed if you were on the receiving end?

Contact us to find out how blue concept training can support the people in your organisation. When staff feel in control, safe and calm they can provide the very best in customer service. Conflict management training will reduce costly staff absenteeism, exposure to risk and poor work practices. Speak to a member of our team who will be happy to discuss how our employee support training can help your organisation. Contact blue concept training today.