All major customer service cultures share a “Yes by Default”. Here’s how to develop it.

All of the great customer-centric companies have what I call a flaw of yes, a philosophy of, “The answer is yes; now what is your question?” As a customer service consultant, customer service trainer, helping businesses develop and maintain the default yes is one of the most important disciplines I can share.

The default of yes is a powerful and transformational principle. I can walk right into your business and say whether you have a cultural “yes by default” or not. Most important, your customers can also.

Of course you have to think, and if you can not say yes to a ridiculous customer request for price, time, etc. ?

Here’s the secret: Even if you can’t give a customer the exact “yes” they expect, never say “no” without offering them a reasonable alternative or two.

Think of it this way: “No” is a dead end, “while” Here’s what we can do ”keeps the channel open.

How do you go about making a default yes take root in your organization? When working on this topic as a customer service consultant, I provide customer service training on scenarios where you can practice defaulting to yes or, if the customer’s request is impractical or unreasonable, provide a “here’s”. what we can do ”instead of a blunt“ no ”that ends communication. (Beyond training, it is important that leadership throughout the company model a behavior and an attitude “by default of yes”. Otherwise, hypocrisy will sabotage the whole attempt.)

Special Forbes Video Supplement: Customer Service Training on Customer Service Recovery (LAM Method by Consultant Micah Solomon). Visit micahsolomon.com or email micah@micahsolomon.com for more.

If you want a free, printable set of Key Customer Service Principles (like this one), contact me at micah@micahsolomon.com or through my website, micahsolomon.com. Please also contact me if you are interested in customer service consulting, customer service training, or online / video customer service training.