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Sometimes a customer will come to you with a problem that you cannot solve. As a
customer service representative it is often expected that you will have the solutions to
all problems with your company’s products or services at your fingertips. Of course
this simply is not possible. Sometimes a customer will come to you with a problem
that simply is insoluble, and you will have to tell them so. In these cases it can be
difficult to get your point across in a way that leaves the customer satisfied and seeing
your point of view – but it is important to at least try.
There are many possible reasons why you may be unable to help a customer with their problem. It may
be that they are simply being unreasonable – a defect may have occurred with a product that they
bought because they used it for an application it wasn’t meant to perform. It may be that the product
for which they are seeking help is now obsolete and that the problem is impossible to repair. In either
case, the fact remains that you will not be able to grant their request, and you will need to communicate
this in a way that allows them to leave on good terms.
So much of human interaction is in how you say things, and customer service is much the same. If you
cannot solve a problem, then it is essential to explain why this is the case, and to give the customer all
the help possible to find an alternative solution. The more you can do for them along these lines, the
more they will understand that, although you could not solve the problem then and there, you gave it
your best and you provided them with some help. Demonstrating that you are willing to do what is
possible will win you points in almost every case.