Volume 3, Issue 2 - February 2002

"I Don't Know"

For Christmas this year, I found one of those "Page a Day" calendars - "For Women Who Do Too Much". My husband thought this gift was not only appropriate, but very funny, too! Apparently, I try to do too much! Anyway, last week one of the pages stood out a little more than the others:

The most difficult words in the English language (and the most powerful!) are:

"I don't know."

I've just finished teaching quite a bit of Customer Service training to one of my largest clients - and we always have quite a conversation on this issue. Is it OK to say to a client (internal or external), "I don't know"?

Many of my participants think that, no, it makes it look like you don't know what you are doing, and you could lose credibility. Can't disagree with that.

Others think that this is just fine - "Sorry, I don't know" and let the customer figure out another option for getting the information. If they knew the information they would share it - but better to be honest than to tell the customer a lie, right?

I think that there is a happy medium. Yes, it is fine to say "I don't know" as long as that isn't the entire statement. Follow it up with "But I will find out immediately and get back to you in ten minutes", or something along those lines. We have to be sure that the information that follows the "I don't know" is helpful, though.

A few years ago I was in Midwestern state, staying in one of those areas that you would really rather not stay in - but it was close to the client and relatively moderately priced. It was also one of those hotels that did not have interior corridors and outside access only. I call those motels. When I was checking in, I had parked my car (under a light) near the front the hotel. Of course, the room I was given was about as far away from the front of the hotel as you could get - and there was no parking at that end of the hotel. (Are you getting the picture? I was not too comfortable). I asked the desk clerk if there was anywhere to park closer to that room and her response was "I don't know; I never go to the back of the hotel." With that, she walked away.

You know, she could have handled that a whole lot better. I can understand that she has never been back there - but I'm sure that someone in the hotel has been and could have been called. Perhaps a "I don't know that because I've never actually been to the back of the hotel. I know that someone in maintenance will know, and I can call them right now for you" would have made me feel a lot better.

I can't tell you what I said - that would be giving away my "Assertiveness" techniques that I'll use in another column!

So, it's ok to not know the answer - it's not ok to let the sentence stop there.

Rhonda Scharf (Finniss) is a Professional Speaker, Trainer and Consultant and President of ON THE RIGHT TRACK - Training & Consulting and is available to deliver customized workshops or keynote speeches at your next convention. Call today at 1-877-213-8608 or e-mail Rhonda@on-the-right-track.com. Since you are now visiting her site, sign up here for her complimentary quarterly newsletter.