Enterprise technology is the business of customer service. Sure, we are highly technical. We also are innovators of the digital revolution, and protectors of enterprise information. There are a lot of aspects to the job, and we need to do them all well. But at the end of the day, there is one overarching measure of success: Did we serve the customer?

My passion for customer service runs deep. I learned the basics on my first job as a paper boy. I learned even more through my first few tech jobs. Before I ever worked on data centers, enterprise networks, security, and application development, I worked on the help desk and desktop support.

I learned that there is something intrinsic that motivates me. Upon first entering this profession, I learned that fixing a computer is hard for the average business person. But for me, I could do it easily. What took me minutes to fix often plagued the customer for hours and days, sapping their productivity. I did my thing, and the customer was ecstatic and grateful.

I learned the joy of doing for someone what they cannot do for themselves. It still drives me today.

Saying no

Not every interaction is pleasant. Sometimes the customer asks the impossible. Sometimes the customer asks for open-ended commitments, unrealistic timelines, insecure practices, or something that isn’t technically feasible.

That’s when we say “no.” I’ve learned that this is a trigger moment. If I say “no” and leave it at that, I’ve just put up a brick wall in front of my customer. If my customer is driven, he or she will hit harder or just work around me.

This seems like a dilemma. It seems like I either serve the customer and compromise my principles, or a deny the customer, and hold to my principles. There is a third way, and it’s subtle.

Saying no in a way that leads to yes

It’s important to recognize when you are in this situation and negotiate it carefully. If you don’t, your boss will get a lot of calls. You need to start with empathy. Ask more questions until you really start to understand what the customer is asking for. If the request sounds unreasonable to you, then you haven’t done the work to put yourself in that person’s shoes. It might not be what they initially asked for. There could be a question behind the question. You can’t serve the customer until you get aligned on the root need.

Once you’ve made it to a place of mutual understanding, then you have an advantage. You are the master of enterprise technology. You know all of the best practices, policies, and options. The customer does not. But now that you have put yourself in the place of the customer, you know exactly what pathway or option to recommend that will satisfy the root need of the customer.

This often requires creative thinking, and some negotiation. Don’t bore the customer with the internal workings of your IT department and practices, instead paint the path and set a reasonable expectation that will meet the need.

What if that fails?

It’s possible to go through this effort and still wind up with nothing. Not all is lost. First, you’ve built a relationship with a customer and have new insight into customer needs. That’s always valuable. Then, you need to take that knowledge and act like a leader.

What leaders do is they change things. Managers keep things running, leaders change the way they run. It doesn’t matter what your title is, anyone can do this. The world of business and technology is constantly changing. It’s quite possible that all of your viable technology solutions solve yesterday’s problems, but not today’s. You’ve already legitimized the need. Now you need to solve for it.

Perhaps your organization needs to be reorganized. Perhaps policies need to be updated. Perhaps new technical possibilities need to be explored. None of this is fast, and you probably don’t feel like you have the time to do this. Someone needs to, otherwise your organization will lose relevance. Why not you? Why not now?

Early in my career I worked with a Business Relationship Manager who told me, “My job is easy. All I do is give the business what they want.” I remember at the time thinking, “it’s not that simple.” That line stuck with me. No, it’s not that simple, but in the end that’s why we exist. There’s no satisfaction in saying “no” with principle. We tell ourselves that we are serving a greater good, but we aren’t. Say no in a way that leads to a yes that works for everyone. Once you’ve mastered that, take it one step further.  Instead of giving the business what they ask for, give them what they cannot imagine. Read how here:

Don’t Give the Business What They Ask for, Give Them What They Cannot Imagine