Frontline staff should replace "no" with "let me tell you what I can do," offering alternatives like a spa pass or referral instead of citing policy. This reframes refusals as solutions, showing customers they're heard and respected rather than dismissed.
People, it's so easy to say no because it's easy, but it doesn't create that sense of connection that you want. He says, we don't have any rooms because checkout isn't even until noon. And he says, but let me tell you what I can do. And just that opened up everything. He says, I can give you a pass to the spa if you need to take a shower. We've got a hospitality suite if you want to rest. We can bring you an iron and an ironing board so you can be ready for your presentation. The easy answer was we have no rooms and it would have been perfectly on policy. But that being of service and that phrase, and I teach audiences and organizations all the time. If you have a vegan restaurant, somebody wants a buffalo burger. Sorry, dude, that's a hard no. But the best response is, let me tell you what I can do. And then anything that's of service, it might be a referral to a trusted partner. It might be a different product or service that might even be a better choice than what they were asking for. But that just shows that you're actually listening. And customers don't like feeling dismissed, right? And what we found was this inflection point when people go from feeling frustrated to feeling disrespected, crossing that chasm, a whole level of detrimental behaviors. When they feel like they're being dismissed, when they get policy, they're talking to a brick wall. What are those points of contact where we can not only make it easier, but we can, as in your work and your messaging, be more sensitive, be more accommodating? Have a greater recognition of the humanity of the person across from them and be of service.
