Declining a request is a skill, and how you do it affects whether the customer stays.
Reply with:
- What was asked for
- Why you said no
- What you wrote back, roughly
- How the customer reacted
- Whether you later changed your mind
Ways of declining that tend to go down well
- Thank them, and show that you understood the problem behind the request.
- Give the real reason, briefly.
- Offer a workaround if there is one.
- Say what would change your mind.
- Do not promise "maybe later" unless you mean it.
A structure you can adapt
"Thanks for this. I can see why it would help with [their problem]. We are not planning to build it, because [honest reason]. In the meantime, [workaround]. I have noted it, and if more people tell us they need it we will look again."
Reasons to say no that customers usually accept
- It would make the product harder to use for most people.
- It is outside what the product is for.
- A small team has to choose.
Being vague is worse than declining. A customer who has been told "it is on the roadmap" for a year trusts you less than one who was told no.