How Do I Tell a Customer Something They Don’t Want to Hear? – Customer Service Training Can Help!

February 4, 2026

“I Have Some Bad News” (Well, it does not have to sound bad)

I wasn’t planning on writing a LinkedIn post or a post for this blog and while reorganizing our office and looking back on 23 years of customer service training, something unexpected happened. We started talking about our favorite sessions to facilitate.

What stood out were the classes where we saw immediate changes in the classroom and then saw those same changes show up back on the job. These were the topics that held up over time and across industries. And, these classes made us proud of the work we have done and continue to do.

As we talked, clear patterns emerged. The same challenges, the same skill gaps, and the same “aha” moments came up repeatedly.

Customer Service: Delivering Difficult Messages – Excerpt from Customer Service Training

This topic consistently rises to the top. A difficult message is simply a message a customer doesn’t want to hear, and those moments matter more than people realize, especially in logistics, healthcare, financial institutions, property management, and home heating.

Before customer service training, difficult messages often sounded efficient but final. Employees defaulted to policy language or explanations that unintentionally shut the conversation down.

For example, customers often heard things like:
¯ “We can’t do anything about that.”
¯ “That’s against policy.”
¯ “You’ll have to wait.”

After customer service training, the message itself didn’t change, but the delivery did. Employees began focusing on what could be done and how to give customers some sense of control.

The same situations sounded more like:
­ “Here’s what I can do today, and here are a couple of options.”
­ “This part isn’t flexible, and I want to walk you through what is possible.”
­ “Let me explain what happens next and what choices you have.”

One reason these changes happened so quickly is because the scenarios were real. We don’t use generic examples or canned role-plays. Every class is built around situations participants face in their roles, their industry, and their organization.

 

When people hear themselves in the scenario, they don’t have to imagine how to apply the skill. They’re already practicing it. In fact, when we returned for follow-up training, we often saw our job aids taped near employees’ computers. That told us the skill wasn’t just understood; it was being used.

The result was more satisfied customers, fewer escalations, and less stress for employees who felt more confident navigating conversations they used to dread.

If you’re interested in learning more about how the Taylor Performance team customizes customer service training to meet specific business needs, we’d love to connect. Call (800) 610-8170 or email us at solutions@taylorperformance.com for a free initial consult.

#CustomerServiceTraining
#DifficultConversations
#ServiceExcellence
#CommunicationSkills
#EmployeeDevelopment

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