The pandemic accelerated the uptake of new marketing strategies set in motion by globalization. Gone are the days of competition strictly based on prices and product quality. Nowadays, customers want and in most industries get great service with high quality. Hence, it is imperative for businesses to develop their customer service to better adapt to the current scenario. One of the best avenues to learn better customer service practices is imitating the practices of giants.

One of the most common practices among customer-centric companies is the ‘default of yes’ behavior. It is a very powerful transformational principle that will revolutionize your approach toward customer service. It is one of the most recommended disciplines shared ubiquitously by consultants and trainers alike.

The answer will always be a yes. The question will be heard later.

Default of yes is an approach where the customer’s request is never outright refused, regardless of how outlandish it may be. Now, the first thought in anyone’s mind would be, “what if we actually cannot agree to the customer’s ridiculous request on price, deadline, etc.?” Well, the key is not to refuse. If you cannot give the customer a total and exact ‘yes’, then do not give them, under any condition, an exact ‘no’. Instead, always prepare a few reasonable alternatives before interacting with the customer.

Think of the situation in this way: outright refusal will prove to be a dead-end and will lower the expectations of the customer toward your business. Not to mention the decrease in overall outlook towards your enterprise. On the other hand, presenting a counter such as ‘here’s what we can do’ will not only keep the channel open but also create a sense of recognition. As a result, the customer will feel more wanted and recognised by the business. Thus, improving retention rates and increasing loyalty.

How to Incorporate ‘Yes’ Culture in Your Business:

The road to inducing a ‘yes’ culture in a business should be very straightforward. Right? You simply tell your customer service department never to refuse a customer, and you are done.

Wrong.

It takes more than a simple ‘yes’ to pull off this strategy profitably. Remember, retaining a customer will do you no good if you run out of business. Hence, agreeing with a customer should be a strategically planned manoeuvre. Your employees must be on the same level of communication and understanding when addressing an issue or concern. A blunt ‘no’ should be avoided proactively. However, it is necessary to understand that some customers will use this as an opportunity to make outlandish requests. So, you should provide your team with training to solidify the foundation necessary to implement this strategy.

Leadership and communication are key determiners of the adoption of new strategies in business. To successfully incorporate a new strategy, overtly aggressive measures need to be implemented. ‘Default of yes’ culture is difficult to maintain as it incurs additional costs in the short term. However, the long-term benefits far outweigh the short-term setbacks.