Written by: Vickie Sullivan | September 16, 2025
How Special Requests Turn into Partnerships
An interesting experience during vacation taught me valuable lesson about special requests from customers that we can all apply to our work life.
Here’s the backstory: One of my favorite stores had new owners, and I needed some jewelry repairs that went against their policy. (Apparently, my requests violated not one, but three different rules. My husband was not surprised by this.)
Instead of arguing, I changed the subject and started browsing. We laughed, chatted about other things, and eventually the owner explained the problem behind the new policies. Within 10 minutes, she agreed to every one of my special requests.
How did that happen? I positioned my pleas in a different way using these strategies:
• Empathize and promise. When the owner told me why the policies were in place (stupid customer behavior), my first response was: “What?! No way. That’s terrible. I’m so sorry that happened to you.” That spurred a blow-by-blow story from her, complete with my commentary on the dark side of humanity. I joked, “If I promise to be nice no matter what, will you do this for me?” Because of my empathy, she believed my experience would be different and agreed. (Direct quote: “You have such a great attitude—I think this will work.”)
• Shift from demand to exploration. Knowing I was on a roll, I had one more special request. To avoid pushing too far, I prefaced it with: “Now, it’s totally OK to say no, but I’m just wondering if we can do…” By framing it as exploration, we moved from yes/no requests to possibilities. When people know it’s safe to say no, they’re more likely to say yes.
We all get and give special requests. How we handle them determines whether the outcome is a short-term transaction or the start of a collaborative partnership with long-term benefits.
Now Read This:
- 2 Mistakes to Avoid When a Client Makes an Impossible Request
- Strategic Sounding Boards Give Real-World Advice for When the Rubber Meets the Road