I was having a discussion with someone recently, and she said that she ran into a situation with a company. When she attempted to address the situation, an employee said, “it’s not my problem.”

I’m sure you already know what I’m about to say, but I’m going to say it anyway: “it’s not my problem” is quite possibly the worst thing you can say to a customer or potential customer. In what ways is this a terrible thing to say? Let’s examine:

It indicates a lack of concern for the customer.
It indicates a refusal to even discuss the matter.
It is very dismissive.
It opens you up to negative word of mouth via social media and personal interactions.
It is quite rude.

Even if the situation is not your problem, you need to find a better way to deal with it. Regardless of fault, you should apologize that things aren’t right. Then you should help them work through the issue as best you can. This doesn’t mean admitting fault (unless it was your fault). It means to go into relationship building mode and try to create something positive out of the whole ordeal. They are going to likely leave your business unhappy, but if you can reduce the level of unhappiness, it might save the relationship.

Instead of saying “it’s not my problem,” carefully explain what happened as you see it. By explaining your side, sometimes customers will see the error of their ways and own it. Of course, sometimes they won’t. In those situations, you can either choose to end the relationship or offer some sort of olive branch, either a refund, a discount, or some sort of incentive for future patronage.

But you don’t have to always give consumers what they want. Stand your ground when you feel it is necessary. You don’t want to become known as the place that is a pushover. Create some standards and stick to them. You’ll be better off in the end.