Communicating Bad News To Clients In Consulting

How I Deliver Bad News to Customers as a Program Manager at Amazon Delivering bad news to customers is one of the toughest parts of being a program manager. It’s never easy, but I’ve learned that how you handle these moments can make all the difference in building trust and maintaining relationships. Here’s the approach that’s worked for me: 1️⃣ Be Transparent, Even When It’s Hard It can be tempting to soften the truth or delay the conversation, but I’ve found it’s always better to be upfront. I start with clarity: “Here’s what happened, here’s what we know, and here’s how it impacts you.” People appreciate honesty, even if the news is tough. 2️⃣ Acknowledge the Customer’s Perspective This one is key. I never gloss over how the issue might be affecting the customer. I say something like, “I know this is frustrating, and I completely understand how this impacts your plans.” Taking the time to show you truly understand their position goes a long way. 3️⃣ Bring Solutions to the Table When you’re sharing bad news, it’s critical to show you’re actively working to fix it. Whether it’s offering an updated timeline, brainstorming alternatives, or providing compensation, I always make sure the conversation focuses on what we’re doing to move forward. 4️⃣ Prove You’re Committed Words are important, but follow-through is everything. Regular updates, quick responses, and proactive check-ins show customers that you’re serious about making things right—and that you’re not going to leave them hanging. These conversations are never easy, but I’ve learned that if you show transparency, empathy, and accountability, you can turn even a tough moment into an opportunity to build trust. How do you handle delivering difficult news in your role? #CustomerObsession #ProgramManagement #Leadership #Amazon

Have you ever felt your heart race while facing the challenge of delivering bad news to a customer in a live chat? If so, you are in good company. This is one of the most daunting aspects of customer support and can often lead to heightened emotions and escalated situations. But what if I told you there’s a proven, structured approach that can empower you to handle these tricky exchanges with confidence? I’ve created a four-step framework called CARE, specifically designed to help you convey bad news effectively: **C - Clearly Explain the Issue**   **A - Acknowledge the Impact**   **R - Respectfully Listen**   **E - Explain the Next Steps** This method isn’t just about softening the blow; it’s about upholding professionalism, demonstrating empathy, and steering the conversation toward a constructive conclusion. When it comes to explaining the issue, be concise and assertive. Cut out any fluff or unnecessary apologies. Speak with clarity and purpose, while ensuring your tone remains respectful. By acknowledging the impact of the news, you show genuine empathy, which greatly enhances the likelihood of the customer accepting your message. A simple phrase like, “I understand this isn’t the outcome you were hoping for,” can make a world of difference. Engaging in respectful listening—yes, even in written form—builds trust and alleviates frustration. It’s about grasping the intent behind the customer's words and recognizing their concerns. Finally, by explaining the next steps, you guide the conversation toward resolution. Provide alternatives, share useful links, or offer tips that can still add value for the customer. Countless teams have transformed their customer interactions by adopting this approach. One of my clients reported a significant reduction in escalated chats and a remarkable improvement in customer satisfaction scores. Imagine navigating even the toughest conversations with composure, equipped with a reliable technique that leads you forward. It’s not merely about delivering bad news; it’s about doing so in a way that respects both the customer’s feelings and your company’s standards. Delivering bad news is undeniably one of the toughest challenges in live chat. Are you ready to discover more powerful techniques like this to elevate your live chat support skills?

Layoffs, closures, restructuring... there’s no easy way to deliver hard news — but how you do it matters. I recently watched a video of Gary Vaynerchuk getting fired up (and I mean fired up) over a question from someone whose company announced they would be relocating their headquarters in 3 years. Yes — 3 years’ notice. They also announced that employees who chose not to relocate could keep their jobs and work remotely, but they wouldn’t be eligible for future promotions or increases. This employee was upset. She loves her job and the company, but feels management is ruining it. She asked Gary if she should cut her losses or stay, and he told her (with many trademark f-bombs) that her reaction reeked of entitlement, not injustice. He praised the company for communicating early, offering options, and giving ample time to prepare. (I’ll drop the link to the IG video in the comments if you want to see Gary go full Gary.) And this week, a coaching client called me. Their company recently announced that thousands of jobs will be eliminated by year-end, with a promise to notify impacted employees by the end of the month. No one knows who’s safe. Anxiety is high. Focus is low. We talked through how he, as a leader, could show up during this time: to keep his team informed, build trust, and support them — even while he’s in the dark himself. Here’s the thing: Companies can rarely “win” when change is coming. - If you give no notice — you’re heartless. - If you give months (or 3 years!) notice — you’re cruel for making people wait and wonder. But here’s what I know: ✳️ Transparency, even when imperfect, builds trust. So what can leaders do when change is coming, and people’s jobs — and lives — are on the line? * Communicate in person, with empathy. Even if the company made an official announcement, you need to have the conversation with your team. Meet with your team members one-on-one. Listen. Acknowledge their concerns without defensiveness. Don’t argue with feelings — they’re valid, even if the facts are off. * Be honest and transparent about what you can’t say yet. Answer questions when you can. And when you can’t, be clear about why, and when more information will be shared. People don’t expect certainty, but they do expect integrity. * Relate without centering yourself. If you’re potentially affected too, it’s okay to briefly acknowledge that. But don’t make it about you. Your role is to steady the ship, not captain a therapy circle. * Help them prepare — without feeding panic. Encourage your team to be mindful and proactive (talk with family, reach out to their network). But also remind them of the importance of staying focused and connected to the mission. Their work still matters. Their contributions still count. The truth is — if you haven’t built trust with your team before disruption hits, these conversations will be harder. But it’s never too late to start. You can’t make hard news easy. But you can make it human.

Saying "yes" feels right, but "no" can save your project. And also save your client’s trust. Last week I had a tough time with one of my clients. Firefighting with a last-minute high-priority request. → The request was outside the scope. → No one is trained to do it. → And, I need to deliver it next week. These unrealistic expectations are nothing new in project management. I had two choices to respond to this conversation: 1/ Say yes and rush to finish. 2/ Have a tough conversation and protect the project. I chose the second. It would have been easier to say: ↳ "I’ll move things around and figure it out." ↳ "It’s tight, but I’ll make it happen somehow." The first option feels easier. You want to be helpful. You want to be seen as a problem solver. But what happens when you agree to unrealistic expectations. Particularly the one that is unclear. → They lead to mistakes. → Mistakes lead to rework. → Rework leads to missed deadlines and broken trust. Here’s a better way to handle such situations: → Listen and acknowledge the urgency. → Explain the impact of rushing. → Offer a structured way to address the request. For example: "Let’s do this right, not just fast. If we rush, we’ll need to redo work later. Instead of squeezing it in, let’s reprioritize, consult the team and review the impact. Please submit a change request so we can assess it properly." Will it be uncomfortable? Yes, it will be. Will there be push back? Yes, there will be. But in the end, your client will respect the process. You’ll save your project from scope creep. The team will trust you. Difficult conversations aren’t about saying NO. They’re about setting clear expectations, so projects actually succeed.

When you work with clients, either internal or external, it is inevitable that you will have to deliver bad news. Here are some things I learned during my career on how to make this a little less painful: 1. Ditch the emails and texts. Of course there are exceptions based on client proclivities, but you should always try to pass on bad news initially in person or by phone. This is a critical time to communicate tone and nuance, and that just cannot be done as well in an email. Would you want a cold bad news email if you were the client? 2. Always communicate a game plan with the bad news. Clients can handle bad news, but they expect you to have a plan for going forward. This is where you can really deliver value, so think things through carefully before you call. 3. Avoid legalese. Even if you are reporting to a lawyer, they don't really want to hear the intricacies of your legal analysis. Just talk like a normal person and tell the client exactly what the bad news is and how you are going to deal with it. 4. Speed is important, but calm and analysis is more important. No, you don't want your client to hear the bad news from someone else. On the other hand, talking to the client while you are still upset can be disastrous. So, before calling the client: 1) walk around the block; 2) talk with your colleagues to get perspective on whether the news is really that "bad"; and 3) write out your talking points with a game plan. Anyone can trumpet good news, but the lawyers clients stick with are the ones who can report bad news with just the right mix of empathy and careful analysis. Be that lawyer.

When things aren’t going perfectly with clients, we’re not only brutally honest, but we’re the first to bring it up. But it took years for my co-founder and I to build up the courage. I used to be a pleaser. Terrified of having difficult conversations with clients. Worried about hurting feelings. Maybe that’s because it’s how most agencies operate—vague promises, smoke and mirrors, kicking the can down the road. Never ‘it’s our fault.’ Always ‘we're just waiting for the algorithm changes to settle’ or ‘we just need to adjust the target audience slightly’. But that approach tends to backfire. What starts out as discomfort (because everyone knows things aren’t quite going well) becomes an acid that eats through and eventually destroys the relationship. The truth is that clients aren't stupid. They wouldn’t be where they are if they were. They know when they’re being fed BS. And they deserve the truth. For example, last year, we had a client whose campaigns weren't hitting their targets. Instead of dancing around it, we told them: 'We can hit this conversion target, but only by turning on low-quality traffic that won't actually help your business long-term. Let's either set a realistic target or plan a clean transition.’ Was it uncomfortable? Absolutely.  But it led to a series of honest conversations. It also led to the kind of newfound mutual respect only unvarnished candor creates. Thoughts? Discuss.