Anyone who has worked in a support center for more than a day knows that some customers won’t get the news they want: their problem cannot be fixed, the product they want is not available, or they will have to wait for help they thought would be immediately forthcoming. As support people, we like to help our customers and we don’t like to deliver bad news, but there are ways to make the chore easier for you while communicating to the customer that you care. Here are eight steps to delivering bad news effectively.

Do it Quickly
Bad news doesn’t get better with age, nor does it get easier to deliver. So get on with it and call the customer as soon as you’ve had a chance to gather all the information you need.

Don’t Hide
Customers may not like bad news, but they can become absolutely furious if they feel you’re trying to avoid the issue. So no email for bad news: talk to the customer face-t0-face if possible, and if not use the phone.

Be Consistent
Every support center has policies that define what can and cannot be done. Apply the policies evenly so that customers won’t be surprised to get a no tomorrow if they got a yes today. (Yes, you can do favors on occasion, but make sure the customers understand that you are doing them a favor and whether it will be a one-time opportunity.)

Be Brief
We tend to talk too much when delivering bad news. It’s best to say your piece succinctly, and then give the customer a chance to respond.

Explain Why
Customers may not agree with the reasoning behind the bad news, but it is easier for them to accept bad news if they understand the reasoning behind it. One caveat: anything that smacks of bureaucratic rules may well make things worse, so look for a real reason other than “we always do things this way”.

Apologize
Make a heartfelt apology, concentrating on the impact of the news to the customer. Empathize with what it means for him or her. Make the apology tangible if a big mistake was made on your side.

Focus on what you can do
You can’t always deliver exactly what the customer wanted or expected, but you should make every attempt to deliver some kind of remedy for the customer’s need. This may require some imagination.

Put your Boss to Work
If you anticipate that a customer may react very negatively to the bad news, give a heads-up to your manager and consider bringing him or her into the conversation. A bigger title may be just the ticket for the customer to feel that proper attention is paid to the problem.

And remember: we want to make customers happy. With bad news, it’s unlikely that you will make the customer happy, so concentrate instead on making sure the customer is fully informed on the situation and available solutions. It’s a more realistic goal for you and for the customer.

About the author
Francoise Tourniaire is the founder and principal of FT Works, a consulting firm that helps technology companies create and grow their support operations. She is the author of “The Art of Software Support”, a practical guide to creating and running successful support centers (you can find a full description at www.ftworks.com/ArtOfSupport.htm). You can contact her at 650-559-9826 or FT@ftworks.com.