Delivering Bad News to a Customer

Learn about communication styles, methods, and approaches that can be applied to challenging situations with customers, like delivering bad news, handling concerns, and more.

Introduction

• Delivering bad news without fear

1. The Problem and Solution

• Prepare yourself emotionally to give customers bad news
• The solution: The four keys

2. The Four Keys to Delivering Bad News

• Be clear when giving bad news
• Acknowledge concern when giving bad news
• Make customers feel smart and good when giving bad news
• Offer options to guide customers forward and preempt escalations

3. What to Do in Specific Situations

• How to explain policy issues to customers
• What to say when you can't give the customer what they want
• How to say no to a customer and get the customer to accept your word as final
• How to explain a delay to a customer

4. Communication Channels

• Delivering bad news in writing: Email or chat
• Delivering bad news over the phone
• Delivering bad news face-to-face

Conclusion

• The good news about bad news