After placing a to-go order at a local restaurant the gentleman that took my order and returned, giving me the “good news, and the bad news”. They were out of the item I had ordered and were cooking some more and would have to wait. I had to decline because I was on a time crunch, thanked him kindly and walked down to the next bistro. To his credit, he was kind and genuine, and I will return another time to order.
The phrase “good news, and bad news” got me thinking. We have heard it many times, its a common phrase used in the English language, however, when used in a customer service setting, across any industry or vertical, it doesn’t mesh well with the empathy, or customer service aspect of the message you’d like to give across. What I have learned in my business experience across multiple industries, is that customer service is your only option. There are lots of ways to push your message to another person, but the way its received is of valuable importance. Individuals, businesses, organizations like the “good news” and the “good news with a twist”, not “the bad news”. Granted, there are some times when its not appropriate to sugar-coat and you have to be straight-forward, but the rest of the time, in communicating with current, past, and future clients, customers and colleagues, be a little bit more tactful.
On the Internet we have the beauty of so much information streaming, that if we choose to tap into it and step into the wind tunnel, we can at any time, however, when you leave, you can often be left with a fatigued state. It’s similar with communication, whether direct, in-direct, verbal, or non-verbal. You can have a power struggle of a conversation and not accomplish much. Alternatively, you can have a meet-in-the-middle conversation and come out with some action items. Use that to your advantage.