44. When You Lack the Authority to

When You Lack the Authority to …….. : 

When You Lack the Authority to …….. By VanSight

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The Situation : 

The Situation You have probably been in situations where a customer asks you to do something for which you do not have sufficient authority. It might be as simple as reversing a transaction at a cash register, processing a return, or making an exception to a company policy or procedure. Here’s how to handle this kind of situation. 3

Techniques Used : 

Techniques Used 4 Finding Agreement Points Offering Choices/Empowering Referral to Supervisor

Dialogue : 

Dialogue 5 The customer approaches the employee and requests that she make an exception to a long-standing rule. However, she lacks the authority to violate the rule.

Dialogue : 

Dialogue 6 Customer: I don’t see why I can’t do [the thing prohibited by the policy]. It seems pretty reasonable and I’m sure I’m not the first to ask. Employee: It does sound reasonable, but I don’t have the authority to say yes or no. The person who can approve that is the departmental manager, Mr. Smith. Do you want me to see if Mr. Smith is available? Customer: Sure.

Dialogue : 

Dialogue 7 Employee: OK. It will take a minute or two. [Goes off to Arrange the referral] Employee: [returns to customer] Mr. Smith is available. To save you some time, I’ve explained to him what you are asking, so you won’t have to repeat it, and I’m sure he’ll help if he can.

Explanations : 

Explanations 8 In this example, you see the employee actively trying to find agreement points. By agreeing with the customer that the request is reasonable, the employee helps the customer perceive that both of them are “on the same side.” The main technique used here is “referral to supervisor.” the employee kicks off the referral process by asking the customer if he wants to talk to the supervisor about this issue. Providing this choice allows the customer to decide for himself whether he wants to spend the time to talk with the supervisor or simply let the issue drop. At the end of the referral process, it’s important to communicate with the supervisor so he or she is prepared to deal with the customer in an informed way and knows in advance of any possible problem situation.

How to Diffuse the Situation : 

How to Diffuse the Situation 9 When you lack the authority to fulfill a request and you also know the request is completely unreasonable and will be refused, it is still a good idea to arrange for the customer to speak with the decision maker. Customers tend to act more favorably when their request is refused by someone higher up (a supervisor or a manager). As with any referrals, it’s important that you and the supervisor are on the same wavelength regarding when it is appropriate or not appropriate to make the referral.

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