Customer Service and the Words, “I Can’t”
Due to a mechanical problem on a United Airlines flight departing from Orlando last Sunday, I was informed, along with the rest of the passengers, that we would be delayed five hours (!?!). Because I would miss my connecting flight I went to United’s Red Carpet Room to make other arrangements. I’ll spare you the details, but the agent was unhelpful and quite arrogant. She kept saying, “I can’t” to everything I was politely asking her to do. All I got was, “I can’t.”
Concerned I would be a no-show for the speech I was to give the next morning I did what I always do in a panic situation. I called my wife Debbie and within about ten minutes the situation was resolved. Whew!
I had about an hour to kill and decided to hang out there in the Red Carpet Room. As I headed out for my flight an hour later, the same agent I’d been dealing with walked up to me and said, “Here are your boarding passes for your new flight. I was able to take care of it.” I let her know everything was already taken care of and she walked away in a huff.
It’s clear that the agent’s initial “I can’t” really meant “I won’t.” I know this because Debbie easily solved my problem and the agent eventually did too. My panic and frustration could’ve been avoided if the agent had even substituted “I can’t” with “I’ll try.”
In today’s day and age there is very little that organizations can’t do, and most customers know that. We know that when someone says they can’t they really mean they won’t. And even if an employee isn’t empowered to handle a customer’s problem, he or she can say, “While I’m not able to do what you’re asking, let me see if I can get someone who can.” At least the customer would know the employee is making an attempt. But saying “I can’t” is more often then not simply untrue. You can, but you won’t.
So, the next time you are tempted to say “I can’t” to a customer, please stop and ask yourself; “Is it really that I can’t do it, or is it that I won’t at least see what I can do?” Your customers will sure appreciate the difference.
Dennis Snow has captured the essence of success, the “Find-a-Wayer’s” mindset that operates out of the buoyant belief that “problems have solutions. The “I can’t” response stiflles the mind and body’s creative determination and leads to frustration for all involved. When facing boneless clouds, proceed as if the sun is above them and take your unlimited mind higher than the challenge. Diseases are cured, ball games are won and businesses succeed when the cultural mindset is one of a energy releasing “can-do” attitude. Dennis Snow is the world’s top expert on success through undertstanding outstanding customer relations, and his approach is brilliantly simple, and available to anyone. Get off your can’t cause can’t never could and success come in “cans.”
looking forward for more information about this. thanks for sharing. Eugene