In our customer service roles, wouldn’t it be great to be able to do and say what we needed to do and say? Too often, we feel limited by policies, procedures, and the unwritten rules of “how things are done around here.”
But we have to periodically ask ourselves, “If I can’t do something that – in my gut – I know I SHOULD do, what’s keeping me from doing it? Why don’t I feel like I have that freedom?”
It’s easy to be told “No – don’t do that,” and accept it. It’s harder to go against the No. It’s hard to do something that you know is the right thing for the customer, even though it may not be a generally accepted practice within your organization.
How many times have you thought to yourself that you really want to do something, you really want to share information, you really want to make a referral, you really want to offer an alternative – but you feel like you can’t. In order to do these things for the customer sometimes you have to convince others within your organization.
Here are some quick tips to help you do what you need to do for the customer to turn the internal organizational No to a Yes:
- Be able to explain WHY this is the action to take.
- Give some thought to what’s in it for that other employee that you’re trying to convince.
- Be able to articulate that what is best for the customer is also best for the company long-term.
- Understand what concerns could arise from your co-worker or supervisor, and determine how you’ll respond.
This is core advice for preparing for a potentially tough conversation, but keep in mind that any potential conflict that would arise would happen because you care about the customer. You’re trying to do right by the customer. Therefore, know that – what you’re doing – you’re doing for a great reason.
Empower yourself to do what’s right on behalf of the customer.
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