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The Power of YES
by Shawn T. Kiley
No, We dont do that here, Thats not my department, You cant sit there, that section is closed, We ran out, Thats not my job, We dont sell those. Wow! Thats a lot of negativity in a small space, wouldnt you agree? Unfortunately, customers are hearing these phrases every day from employees in every facet of the service and hospitality industry.
There will be times in the course of any business day, where we simply cannot provide what our customer wants or needs. The item is out of stock, you sold out of the fresh catch of the day, or your business is simply not set up to handle that specific request. It will happen frequently, and if your business is running optimally, you will have trained your employees to find a way to make their no sound like a yes.
In other words, we should avoid saying no to our customers as much as possible. If we must say no, its imperative to phrase the no in a way that will not turn away business for good. What we want to avoid is the pat answers that many employees will give customers such as the ones listed above. Those phrases, and many others like them have the the potential to turn away business for good. You may be losing a potentially new customer or a loyal customer without ever knowing it, by simply speaking to to them in the wrong tone or with the the wrong answer.
Fortunately, with a little creativity and practice, you can find ways to turn an answer that sounds negative to the customer into an answer that sounds positive. Practice this in your pre-shift meetings, sales meetings or one-on-one in role playing exercises with your staff.
Here are some examples:
The customer has requested the Fresh Catch of the Day special and it has been 86d. Which sounds better to you, response A or response B?
A. Sorry, we just ran out, can I get you something else?
B. Im sorry, the Fresh Catch special was so popular, we just sold out of our last order. However, we still have a few pieces of the red snapper which is my personal favorite. The chef can prepare it any way you like, but I recommend it baked. Would you like that instead?
The customer has requested a shirt that you do not carry.
A. Sorry, we dont carry that shirt here.
B. Im sorry, we dont have that design, but I can probably find something very similar for you right over here on our specials rack. Let me show you what we have
Obviously, B sounds better in both cases. Train your staff to speak effectively with the customer so that they are not simply turning them away.
Also, empower your employees by giving them the ability to make certain decisions that will allow them to turn a no into a yes easier and with more authority. For instance, give your employees access to buy one, get one free coupons for the customers next visit, or allow them the ability to upgrade the car, room or tour. Any tool that you can use to help your employee retain the customer and turn a negative into a positive can be effective.
In addition, dont be afraid to refer your customer to another business that may better be able to assist them. Of course we dont want to be sending our customers to the competition every time we run out of something, but it will only help your business if you can get them what they want, even if its referring them to someone else. Especially if your staff is trained to sell them something while theyre still in your establishment.
This is framed from the abundance mentality - that there is enough business for everyone and your only competition is yourself. If you focus on helping your staff turn negatives into positives, you will have earned a memorable and favorable experience in the customers mind that cant be purchased in the way a particular item or service can. It works!
Until next time... Shawn
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