This article answers the question: What phrase may be the most expensive to use in business, and why?.

There are certain phrases that I consider to be customer loyalty killers. Use them with your customers, and you shouldn’t be surprised if they leave you for a better experience. Phrases like:

It’s not my fault. Even if it’s not, your customers want to talk to someone who is empowered to help them.

You’re wrong. It’s just wrong to tell customers they are wrong!

We can’t do that. This is especially bad when common sense dictates they should be able to do that (whatever “that” is).

There are many, but the one that may be the most costly to use in business is:

It’s not my department.

Before we go further, there is another phrase that ranks right up there, and that is, “It’s company policy.” I struggled with which was worse to say to a customer, but in the end, for the following reasons, I chose “It’s not my department.”

1. One word: Friction. Customers want their problems to be solved by the first person they talk to. Our annual customer service research proves that some customers will give you a second or third chance. But one in five customers won’t. They have zero tolerance for a bad customer experience. Losing customers costs you money!
2. Customers hate to repeat themselves. If a customer gets transferred to “another department,” guess what they get to do next? Yes, repeat themselves. Do this too many times, and then guess what happens? Some customers will walk, and, again, that costs you money.
3. Time is money. If the first two examples don’t cause customers to leave, that doesn’t mean you’ve saved money. On the contrary, the time that is wasted transferring customers and making them repeat their stories is very expensive. Your employees would appreciate it if their talents were used for better, more productive opportunities than to spend time putting out fires because others were not empowered or properly trained to do so.

When It Really Isn’t Your Responsibility

There will be times that a problem really is, “Not my department,” but when that happens, handle it the right way:

1. Explain why. Customers appreciate an honest explanation.
2. If you have to transfer, do it only once. Make sure the next person they talk to is the right person.
3. Make a warm handoff. Before transferring the call, let the next person know why the customer is being transferred to them. Or, do an introduction with the customer on the phone. Explain what the problem is, so the customer doesn’t have to.
4. Circle back. A quick email or call to make sure the customer had their issue resolved will give the customer the confidence to come back.

So, how to avoid this loyalty-killing, cash-sucking phrase?

One word: Training. Employees must be trained on how to communicate, supplied with the information they need to support customers, and instructed on what not to say and do to customers. Realize that the more time a customer spends getting transferred and repeating their story, the more it costs your company. “It’s not my department” is where frustration, friction, and unnecessary expense begin.

(Perhaps in the future, I’ll write about “It’s not company policy,” my pick for the second most expensive phrase in business.)

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.