W EEKLY EDITION JULY 27, 2016
Dealing with Customers You Don't Want to Serve …continued
By Karleen Kos, PSAI Executive Director
DO
• Be prepared with trained staff, clear policies, and consistent procedu res to identify potential issues early in the
sales/inquiry process .
• Remain professional and nonjudgmental of the customer or his/her intended use of the unit(s) .
• Explain the policy and how it applies to all similar situations .
• Provide referrals to other c ompanies who can help the customer .
DON'T
• Wait until the last minute to refuse service and leave the customer in a bad position.
• Search for an excuse not to serve someone you don't like. If the policy didn't exist before the customer request, it is
going to be a lot harder to justify denial of service.
• Make exceptions to policies when it's convenient. This will undermine a more rigid adherence to it when you refuse
service. If your service area is 50 miles, don't go to 60 miles for someone you like unless you're prepared to serve
everyone within 60 miles.
When in doubt, consult an attorney. In extreme cases you can be prosecuted for refusing service to a potential
customer. More likely, you'll just suffer from a lot of negative publicity that will have a negative impact on your
business prospects if you mishandle these situations. I'm not a lawyer and, probably, neither are you. The
information contained in this article is based on best practices in the association industry and basic knowledge of
business law – but it isn't meant to be legal advice. Before you deny service in a situation that is ambiguous in
any way, you might be best served by talking to legal counsel.
