Breaking Bad News to Customers:
Five Tips to Soften the Blow
By Susan Berkley
Breaking bad news to customers is not an easy task. However, occasionally,
it's a duty that many business people must carry out with empathy and
professionalism.
Here are five strategies for delivering the message with compassion:
1. Tell the truth. People tend to fear what they do not understand. Put the
situation into perspective for your customer. Give as much information as you
can about the who, what, when, where and why.
2. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. It’s useless and naïve to tell
customers not to worry or expect them not to get frustrated. They ARE worried,
and maybe even angry at how the events will affect them (or their
companies) personally. Don’t leave them guessing. Give them all the facts.
3. Acknowledge their feelings. Don’t invalidate their feelings by suggesting
the situation is “not that bad.” This is also not a time for humor. Let them
vent. Negative emotions must be dealt with before they can be replaced with a
positive plan of action.
4. Take charge. Outline a specific plan of action that you and your company
will take. Assume ownership for the customer’s situation.
5. Follow through. Make it your priority to track the progress on the
customer’s problem within your company. Make frequent status reports to the
customer until the situation is resolved to his or her satisfaction.
From "The Voice Coach" ezine by Susan Berkley. Copyright
2002, reprinted with permission. For a free subscription visit
http://www.greatvoice.com.
Susan Berkley is a professional speaker and international communications expert.
She is a top voiceover artist and author of "Speak to Influence: How to Unlock
the Hidden Power of Your Voice, " available at bookstores or from The Great
Voice Company at 800-333-8108.
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