I believe in giving our customers top-notch support and demonstrating as much as possible we’re here to support them. But support doesn’t mean saying yes to everything.
Saying yes to everything is a recipe for over promising and ultimately disappointing. That’s the opposite of what we want.
So when a request comes in or a customer starts pushing boundaries, we need a framework for communicating to them in a way that leaves the customer feeling helped, even when the answer isn’t exactly what they wanted.
Recently, we had a prospect who wanted to migrate over 400 clients into our system. A great opportunity, but also a massive amount of work.
The reality: we don’t do client onboarding. That’s not part of our business model. So how do you handle this without killing the deal or over-committing your team?
The answer is a simple framework we now use in situations like this:
The Acknowledge → Boundaries → Redirect Framework
1. Acknowledge
First, validate the request. Don’t shut it down immediately.
“Yes, our API can handle importing 400 clients. No problem.”
Acknowledging keeps the energy positive and reinforces that your product is capable.
The issue is that we don’t want to over promise. “Importing” can mean a lot of things and having mis-aligned expectations can really hurt the client’s perception of the proccess.
So that goes into the next part.
2. Boundaries
Next, be crystal clear about the limits and come at it from their side.
“It will require someone technical to set up. And it only covers creating accounts and adding users – not files, tasks, or other content.”
Make sure they are aware of any challenges so they can feel prepared.
I position this as if you are acting as a consultant. If this is a call, then I use this opportunity to get to know their business or what they are up to. In this moment you can win over just about anyone.
3. Redirect
Finally, point them to the next step so they still feel supported. Since we don’t do onboarding, we’re going to give them what they need to talk to a technical person.
“I’m going to send you a link to our API documentation after this call. Get this in the hands of a developer or someone on your team who is technical – that will get them on the right path to doing a bulk import like this.”
The key here is keeping momentum and having something we can deliver for them. We never want to stale out and always want to keep showing up for them.
Nothing is worse than saying “We don’t do this – bye”. What we’re saying is “We don’t do this, but here’s here’s how to keep moving forward”.
Why This Works
Even if they don’t end up committing to your product, they’ll remember you as helpful, not obstructive. This creates a lot of good will and keeps your team feeling productive.
The Takeaway
If you have shied away from “showing up” for your customers because they can take a mile as soon as you give an inch – I really urge you to give this a shot. It works.
- Acknowledge the request
- Set clear boundaries (act as their consultant)
- Redirect with a useful next step
This simple playbook protects your team and ensures customers feel supported – even when the answer is “not us.”