In auto recycling, the pressure to satisfy every customer can be overwhelming. Brian Bachand, CEO of Westover Auto Salvage, provides his opinion by highlighting the importance of knowing when to say no. By managing expectations, maintaining boundaries, and prioritizing sustainable practices, recyclers can protect their businesses while fostering strong relationships. Saying no strategically—whether to impossible requests or unpaid invoices—ultimately ensures better outcomes for customers and businesses, creating a foundation for long-term success.
Finding the Balance: When to Say “No” in a “Yes” Industry
“Yes, Yes, Yes” is a phrase that is synonymous with the grandiose idea that we, in the auto recycling industry, need to sell, sell, sell more parts. Some recyclers have become ‘unofficial’ Yes Men and Women. They are always saying “yes” to the customer when everything and everyone else is saying “no, no, no”. In the United States, recyclers pride themselves on offering quality and cost-saving recycled original equipment parts (ROE). Yet, two of the core competencies of what we do are intrinsic to customer service and customer satisfaction. The commitment to uphold these strengths and to continue to produce results has often led us to agree to whatever comes our way or to what challenges the goal of a happy customer. So, if we are always aiming to please by bending over backwards to get those in need affordable, correct and quality parts while hustling it out in a timely manner, where do we draw the line? How do we know when to say “no”? And how do we facilitate this foreign endeavor in a way that benefits the customer and positively impacts our business?
Turning Challenges into Customer-Centric Solutions
Navigating the Cost of “Yes”: When the Juice Isn’t Worth the Squeeze
No one wants to be the ‘bearer of bad news’, the ‘bad guy’ or the one to ‘kill your vibe bro’. However, there are frequent scenarios in our daily operations where the juice is not worth the squeeze, and how we navigate these situations should be perceived and executed differently. Otherwise, we’ll find ourselves continuing to say “yes” to conditions and customers, which will have a significant and negative impact on our businesses and bank accounts in the future.
Take, for example, the classic case of the needy customer. No one is above being needy, and sometimes people get fixated on only the needs of the self and become oblivious to the scope of things in tow. Nonetheless, the customer needs to have a part right away, or they need it to come with additional pieces or prepared in a certain way that is not in accordance with your usual dismantling or sales procedures.
So what do you do? Even in the most sincere and polite ways, communicating with those in perceived dire need that they cannot get their way is usually just a recipe for disaster. So, what is the best way to move forward?
That would be to say “yes” by saying “no”. We find simple solutions to complicated issues. If we have no one available to get the part in the desired time frame, we connect the customer with a reliable source who can. The relationship with the customer is what keeps them calling and keeps the money coming in. A better solution for the customer would be taking the time to look at our board. Review quickly what we have going on, observe what our team has been assigned and what it is in the midst of, and see if we can shuffle pieces around to meet the need. We should not be pushing others off, but if we adjust on the fly and game plan to prioritize jobs to be done, we can get the customer their part sent right away.
Certain situations are difficult to navigate, and the debt we may feel towards the customer, especially a good recurring one, can sometimes be quite daunting. This testimony may speak to our moral fiber, but it often limits our thinking of how we are to deal with the customer’s demands. Another common conundrum is when the customer needs the near impossible or the typically unavailable. They are looking for hardware, trinkets, or parts that are not inventoried, are not easy to come by, and are hard-pressed to locate. And to sweeten the pot, the sources who might have it are unknown, never dealt with and maybe even unreliable. This is the Yes Man and Woman’s worst nightmare. There is a limited profit margin on these potentially risky and aggravating scenarios. Saying “Yes” does not make financial sense, especially if you do not have what the customer needs or seeks at your facility.
Time is money, and in this case, the best solution may be to do the leg work for the customer and advise them how to promptly and properly get what they need. They are potentially seeking out a needle in a haystack or a viable needle in a pile of bad needles. Luckily, we are not the only haystack around, so we can make a few calls. We can afford to take some time to figure out how to search for what it is they seek and where to find a good pile of needles to look in. If the part is something that is not easily found, then offer some guidance to the customer on how to go about their search. Give them the tools they need to inquire about the seemingly impossible or locate the unavailable. We are strengthening our relations here, even if it means not making the sale. Forgo the brokering process and connect the customer with the source that has what they are looking for.
While constructive uses of our time may not lead to immediate revenue, they limit our expenses and stress levels. Yet, ultimately, we are aiding the customer in their journey to repair while invigorating interest and trust in our businesses.
A Yes Man and Woman is not without faults, for even though we may feel good about doing what is right by the customer, we still endure the added hardships when the customer does not do right by us. Saying Yes in these times can be absolutely baffling and quite frustrating. We are utilizing our resources in a timely and efficient manner, sometimes to the point of exhaustion to fulfill our commitment. So what happens when the customer is not current or timely with their payment? This may be a touchy subject for quite a few out there, so the best approach to take is to review how we have allowed ourselves to get into this predicament. Take accountability for the situation and amend practices so that you do not allow yourselves to be in this position. If you are proactive in your billing and communications within your customer relations, business can continue to go on in the ways it was meant to be. It flows both ways, with parts and services to the customer and compensation from the customer to you.
However, even with sound principles, some out there still find themselves in these situations of customers having late or lack of payment, yet continue to source parts to them. This extends beyond simply valuing the customer relationship, as our leniency—driven by a desire to say yes and maintain business—has ultimately compromised it. The advantage taken here affects our bank accounts and creates asignificant negative impact on our business. Starting with our view on these types of customers and pouring over into the limitations on how we operate given the cogs in the financial wheel.
So now, how and when do we decide to say “no”?
Immediately and effectively should be our response. Understanding that unexpected financial occurrences take place only goes so far as how much we are willing to excuse. Decide now to continue to say “Yes” by saying “No”. Offering to engage in regular or smaller installment payment plans can benefit both parties and continue to make the business work. The alternative would be to find creative solutions to be compensated for the Yes, Yes, Yes we have been extending to these customers. But ultimately, if things do not change or improve, the line must be drawn, and we will be forced to change the dynamic or the relationship. Stop Sells, Roll Call Alerts, and Collections Notices will need to be enforced because saying “Yes” to going out of business based on our own negligence is something we will not allow.
Not all recyclers say “Yes” continually, and most will argue that they are better off that way. Keeping things simple and defined are great practices to be followed. Knowing your limitations, as well as what you want to offer customers in terms of product and expectations, makes daily operations predictable and finances manageable. That being said, it is crucial to know when and how to say “no”. Knowing how you operate, observing the dynamic of relationships with your customers and comparing that with what your culture is in depth is a way to reason and research your approaches to the Yes Man and Woman situations. Finding ways to say “yes” to the customer’s needs by saying “no” to their requests or demands is the optimal way of knowing where and when to draw the line. Time is money, and money is time; there is no reason to waste every second dime. Constructive and Creative customer service translates into consistent customer satisfaction. The profit may come from the parts, but the continued partnership and the prospect of a prosperous and sustainable future comes with how we say “yes”, even when we say “no”.
