You like to make your clients happy. And when you say no to a client, it feels like youâre letting them down. You might also worry itâll open up your business to criticism or cut into your profits.
But sometimes, saying no is the best thing you can do.
That simple word can make your business run more smoothly and remove the problems that cost you time, money, and sanity. Sometimes itâs even possible to say no while still pleasing the client and upselling your services.
In this article, weâll first explain how to politely say no to a client. Then weâll share five examples of when you should do it.
Hereâs how to tell customers no, politely:
When youâre planning how to reject a customer request politely, start with these best practices to get in the right headspace:
1. Understand what the client wants and why
You donât have to give a response to the customer right away. In fact, taking time shows the client that you thought through solutions and didnât just dismiss them out of hand.
Depending on the request, you might realize their question is reasonable or that they actually want something completely different. You may in fact be able to provide it.
2. Offer an alternative that might fit their needs
If the clientâs request is reasonable, but you still canât say yes, try to offering an alternative solution.
Even if you canât offer a perfect solution, they might be open to a compromise. You wonât know unless you ask!
Assuming their request is within the service parameters we offer, I donât say no to a client. I give them an option that I think would be a win-win. If they donât agree, they can say no to me.
3. Be honest
Donât lie about your reasons for saying no in order to save face or protect the clientâs feelings.
At the same time, though, be tactful.
For example, telling the client you donât want to work with them might feel good, but it isnât productive. It definitely wonât be good for your reputation either.
4. Offer a referral
If the client is asking for something you donât offer or donât want to do, direct them to another company who can provide that service.
The client is going to end up looking elsewhere anyway. Itâs better to send them on their way with positive feelings so theyâre more likely to come back to you in the future.
5 reasons to say no (with examples)
There are many ways to say no to a customer, and even more reasons to do it. Here are five possible reasons with some example scripts for saying no:
1. You donât offer that service
The client might be asking for something that isnât a natural extension of your services.
Maybe you havenât expanded into that service area or itâs just not a service youâre interested in providing.
In these cases, it makes sense to explain why you donât offer that type of service. You might even be able to further educate the client about what services you do offer.
No service offering example
Youâre providing window washing services and a client is asking you to pressure wash other areas of their property.
You kindly admit that you will consider adding pressure washing to your service offering, but that you donât currently have the equipment or specialized knowledge to provide the service at this time.
If you have other washing services that might be of interest, like vehicle washing, you can offer it to your client. Otherwise, you can refer your customer to a pressure washing business to get the job done.
Learn to say no: âI donât offer thatâ
âYouâre right, pressure washing services would be a good fit for my business. However, I donât have the equipment or specialized knowledge to provide that service right now. I prefer to focus on window washing at this time.”
âI did just expand into vehicle washing, if youâre ever interested in that. And I do know another company that does pressure washingâthey might be able to help you out next weekend.â
I tell people up front what I will and will not do. We are a small business and donât have the resources to do some jobs. Usually, people are understanding when I tell them a job is too big.
2. You donât have the time or capacity
Sometimes you have to say no to a job you want just because you donât have the bandwidth to do it. You might be fully booked or not have enough crew members to handle the job.
You can tell the client what your schedule currently looks like, but usually itâs enough to say that you donât have enough time or people.
As an alternative, try suggesting another available time later on in your schedule. If the client wants to work with you specifically, they might be willing to push their plans.
If the client still pushes back, though, you may need to end the working relationship.
Not enough time example
You quoted a client for the removal of two large tree stumps and the pruning of tree limbs overhanging their driveway. At the end of the job, they ask you to take a large collection of firewood from their property.
With only enough team members to perform the original job, and a busy schedule over the coming days, you have to deny the customer request.
In this case, be honest with the customer and remind them of the original scope of work and your upcoming schedule. Offer to update their contract (or provide a new one) and come back at your earliest availability.
Learn to say no: âI donât have timeâ
âFor the quoted price, weâll be removing two large stumps and pruning the tree limbs overhanging your driveway. The price also includes the time for three crew members, who will be using top-of-the-line equipment and hauling away the debris at the end.â
âThis service will allow you to fully landscape your lawn this summer, which I know is important to you, as well as protect your vehicles. Weâll also do our best to make sure youâre completely happy with our services.â
3. You canât or wonât do what theyâre asking
At some point, you might find yourself facing a client who wants you to do something illegal, immoral, unsafe, or just plain uncomfortable.
Some clients donât know that thereâs a problem with their request. Others may not care. Either way, think of this situation as a chance to show your confidence and integrity as a business owner.
It should be enough to state the rule, law, or boundary as the reason why you canât do what the client wants. You may be able to give them an alternative or another way to move forward.
Following the rules example
You book a job for home cleaning services, but upon arriving at the job site, you learn that the request was made by a family member and not the homeowner. In fact, the homeowner isnât even at the property when you arrive to perform the job.
As it is against your company policy for liability reasons, you must tell the customer that you canât clean the house without the written permission from the homeowner.
You can reassure the client that youâd be happy to come back once the homeowner has signed a contract for services.
Learn to say no: âI canât do thatâ
âDue to liability reasons, itâs company policy that we canât provide cleaning services for a property without the homeownerâs written consent. I canât go against that policy.â
âSince you arenât the homeowner, weâll need your family memberâs permission in writing before we can enter their home.â
If the client still pushes back, though, you may need to end the working relationship.
If a customer wants you to bend your rules to accommodate them, it canât and wonât be sustainable. You canât let âmaking an exceptionâ become the norm for any dollar amount.
4. You donât want to discount your services
A client might ask for you to provide your services at a lower price point than youâre willing to offer, whether itâs still a reasonable amount or not.
Saying no in this situation can help reinforce the value of your services and what you charge for them. You know what your time is worth, and you donât have to accept an unreasonable demand to work for less than that.
In some cases, the client may not understand the value of your services and itâs just a matter of educating them. Hereâs an example of how to do that:
Fixed price example
A new lawn care client is asking you to weed and mow a large corner lot for the same price as you would a regular-size lot.
Knowing that the time and team members required to complete the job in a reasonable amount of time will be significantly higher, you canât see a way to make any profit off the job.
Review your pricing options with the client to help them understand what your services are worth and why in hopes of coming up with a positive way to move forward with the work.
Learn to say no: âHereâs what youâll getâ
âUnfortunately, I canât complete your job at that price. We do have a pricing package for your lot size that includes, a one-time lawn analysis, weeding, and weekly lawn mowing. That package is available for an annual fee of $650.â
âIf youâre interested in learning more about our other services, Iâll gladly send you a quote for our most popular lawn mowing and weeding packages.â
If the client has an unrealistic opinion of how much your services should cost and wonât be persuaded otherwise, the example in the next section might be more effective.
READ MORE: How to professionally handle price objections from customers
5. You donât want to work with this client
Maybe youâve already done work for this client, and theyâre hard to work with or donât pay their bills. Or maybe you can tell theyâre going to be trouble just from the short time youâve spent talking to them.
Think of this interaction as a job interview. The client wants to work with you, but you donât want to work with themâand you donât have to. Instead, refer them to another company who has the time and resources to manage a challenging client.
Knowing how to reject a client you donât want to work with is a big part of running a successful business. There will always be more clients, so donât worry too much about saying no to difficult clients!
Refuse and refer example
A client that left a bad taste in your mouth has returned with more pest control job requests. After your first and only experience with this difficult customer, you have decided not to accept the work, and need some positive language to respectfully decline.
Let the customer know that you are grateful for their consideration, but that you think there are other pest control businesses that would better fit their needs. Provide as much or as little information as youâd like to help the customer find one of these alternative options.
Learn to say no: âTry another company insteadâ
âAfter reviewing your pest control needs, I donât think our company will be able to provide the level of service youâre looking for.”
âWe recommend speaking to Pest Busters insteadâIâm confident theyâll be a better fit. Thank you for thinking of us, and all the best.â
We say no by saying yes. Yes, we offer those services; however, we think so-and-so will be a better fit for your project. And then we pass them on.
Some clients might not want to accept your no. In these cases, remember that ânoâ is a complete sentence.
Learning to say no may be uncomfortable, but it changes the way you think about your time, your value, and your business.
Saying no can give you the confidence you need to make the right choices for your business and for yourself.
No one else is going to stand up for your company. You have to stand up for your company.
Knowing how to say no to customers makes you better equipped to have healthy customer interactions and maintain a positive relationship with your client.
Originally published in June 2021. Last updated on May 17, 2024.