A customer asks if you carry any types of walking canes and accessories. The store does not carry canes. How should you respond?

• A. Explain to the customer that your store is not large enough to carry every item.
• B. Explain to the customer that you do not carry canes and accessories, but you know another store that does and will be happy to call them.
• C. Explain to the customer that you do not carry canes and accessories, but you do not have a large demand for canes and accessories; therefore, it's not necessary to stock them.
• D. Explain to the customer that you do not make a lot of profit in selling canes and accessories: therefore, you do not carry them.

Answer: (B)

When a customer asks for an item you don’t carry, the best move is to help them solve the problem anyway. Offering a proactive, honest referral to a store that does stock canes—and even offering to call them on the customer’s behalf—shows you care about their needs and will go the extra mile to assist. This builds trust, keeps the customer feeling supported, and may lead them to return for other help in the future. Other approaches that focus on internal limits, lack of demand, or profitability sound like excuses and can erode confidence in your service. You might say: “We don’t carry canes, but I can point you to a store that does, and I can call them to connect you if you’d like.”