Stop Complicating Your Emails!

Boss: Have you called your customer yet to give them the bad news about the shipping hold on the stuff they ordered?

Sales Person: No, I sent a message to fulfillment to see if there was any way they could improve things. I don’t want to tell them anything until I hear back.

Boss: But I thought they reached out to you a few days ago for an update?

Sales Person: Yes, but I don’t want to give them bad news if I don’t have to.

Boss: I think it’ll still be a few days before you hear anything one way or the other. Won’t that be a week then that they’ve been waiting to hear from you?

Sales Person: Will it? Yeah, I guess so. Like I said, I don’t want to upset them if I don’t have to.


The truth is, we have to break bad news to customers all the time. Maybe that discount we quoted isn’t valid anymore. Maybe there is a shipping hold on something due to a supply chain issue.

When having a difficult conversation:

👉 Procrastinating doesn’t help. Customers don’t like to wait several days or a week to hear back. At the very least, assure them you’re working on it.
👉 DISARM THEM BY LETTING THEM KNOW YOU’RE WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS
- We have a little problem
- Let’s figure this out (together)
- Here are a few options for us
- I want to provide some context (use this only with your coach to help them understand what happened, not to place blame, and then - NEVER blame the customer in a public setting)

👉 Bring facts, not blame, not emotion
👉 Don’t over-apologize. Do it once, in a genuine way, and be done
👉 Ask Questions- Allow Discussion
👉 Never interrupt as they’re venting

What are some ways you’ve found to have a productive but difficult conversation?

Tell me about it!