"The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it."  - Chinese Proverb

How often do you meet people who consistently tell you something cannot be done, regardless the request?  I once worked for a major corporation where I was responsible for payroll.  We used the major  outside payroll processing firm and had an account manager assigned to us.  No matter what we asked for, whether it was a report, a time extension, or a direct contact to our tax specialist, our account manager always told us our request was impossible.  Yet, if we called and someone else picked up the phone, the request was always somehow feasible. 

Soon I realized I simply had the wrong person working on my account, and drove up to their headquarters, insisting I be able to hand-select the person assigned to us.  Amazingly enough, all our problems went away after that and everything worked like clockwork.  We took the time to understand the limitations of their payroll system and in turn our amazing account manager found creative solutions to our problems. 

It all boils down to a few simple customer service best-practices:

• Before saying no, find out your client's ultimate goal.  What does your client want to do with that report, dress, property, or timeshare?  By finding out their purpose for making the request, you can offer better customer service experiences.  For example, why were they booking the timeshare vacation?  Were they planning a family reunion?  Having this information will help you be more effective when you move to the next step which is ... 
• Offer alternatives.  Once you know the what and why, you may be able to offer other feasible solutions.  If someone wants a particular video game that's out of stock, but you realize the customer needs that game for a birthday party they're going to that day, an appropriate alternative may be to let him know the nearest store that has the game. 
• If you can't immediately think of any alternatives, ask some of your colleagues for potential solutions or escalate it to a supervisor.  Perhaps others have had experience with this issue, and in this case, the old adage that two heads are better than one is true.
• Share best-practice solutions with your fellow colleagues, so everyone is able to offer excellent customer service experiences in the future.   You are truly going to be able to differentiate your firm's service from your competition when everyone provides the same over-the-top customer service experiences. 
• Segmentation may come into play when requests are more complex.  Realize all solutions aren't appropriate for all clients.  In my payroll example, the requests I made required programming and sometimes dedicated expert resources.  If I had been a very small client, my requests may have been cost-prohibitive.  Be sure to look not only at the current business of a client, but also their potential when determining whether or not it is worth it to honor the request, however. 
• If the answer really is 'no', and there are no other alternatives, explain why.  Offer documentation, or a link to a website if you are able.  Just be sure the answer truly is 'no'.   Laws, compliance issues, or system stability issues may prevent you from complying with a client's request.  But make sure the client understands what the issue is and how your response is really in their best interest. 

Before giving that next 'no', challenge yourself to find the 'yes'.  It may take a little longer, but your clients will appreciate the great customer service and it will help differentiate you from your competition.   By the way, our original account manager?  I heard he was promoted (I never said life was fair, right?).  Our amazing account manager?  She opened her own business and now provides amazing administrative and marketing services:  Full Circle Admin Services

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