So it is: have you ever had to deny a customer's request, or put differently, tell me about a time when you had to say no to a customer?

那麼問題來了：你是否曾經拒絕過客戶的要求，或者換一種說法，告訴我你曾有過什麼時候不得不拒絕客戶的要求？

This is a really good interview question because it's a great opportunity to highlight your judgment, your empathy, and creativity.

這是一個非常好的面試問題，因為這是一個突出你的判斷力、同理心和創造力的絕佳機會。

The hiring manager wants to assess your ability to navigate challenging situations as well as your problem-solving skills. So, one of the most common examples to use would be a customer requesting something that is outside of your company's policy or outside of your product offering.

招聘經理希望評估你駕馭挑戰性情況的能力以及解決問題的技巧。是以，最常見的例子之一就是客戶提出了超出公司政策或產品範圍的要求。

And the trick with this question is to balance your obligations to the customer as well as what's feasible from the business perspective.

這個問題的訣竅在於，既要履行對客戶的義務，又要從業務角度考慮可行性。

You want to show how you can be empathetic and professional in communications with the customer and at the same time highlight your creativity when it comes to problem-solving.

在與客戶的溝通中，你要展現自己的同理心和專業能力，同時突出自己在解決問題方面的創造力。

You never want to just say no to a customer.

你永遠不要對客戶說 "不"。

You want to listen to them, work with them, and offer other solutions that can meet their guardrails you need to set. So here's an example answer.

你要傾聽他們的意見，與他們合作，並提供其他解決方案，以滿足他們需要設置的警戒線。下面是一個答案示例。

In my previous role as a customer service representative at company XYZ, I encountered a customer who requested a full refund for a product they had purchased four months ago.

我之前在 XYZ 公司擔任客戶服務代表時，遇到過一位客戶要求全額退款，因為他們四個月前購買了一款產品。

The customer claimed that they had never used the product and only realized recently that it didn't meet their needs.

客戶聲稱，他們從未使用過該產品，直到最近才意識到該產品無法滿足他們的需求。

But our company's refund policy only allows for returns within 30 days of purchase, which meant that the customer's request fell outside of our policy guidelines. So, I listened carefully to the customer's explanation and empathized with their situation.

但我們公司的退款政策只允許在購買後 30 天內退貨，這意味著客戶的要求不在我們的政策範圍內。是以，我認真聽取了客戶的解釋，並對他們的處境表示同情。

I explained our 30-day refund policy and the reasons behind it.

我解釋了我們的 30 天退款政策及其背後的原因。

And while I couldn't make an exception on the refund policy, I did create a unique promotion code, which I provided to the customer for any future purchases over the next year.

雖然我不能在退款政策上破例，但我還是創建了一個獨特的促銷代碼，並提供給客戶，供其在未來一年內購買。

I would say that the customer was initially disappointed that I couldn't resolve their situation, but they appreciated the promotion code, and the exchange concluded in a friendly manner.

我想說的是，客戶起初對我無法解決他們的情況感到失望，但他們對促銷代碼表示感謝，交換也以友好的方式結束了。

And I learned that it's important to be honest and straightforward when you're communicating negative information or having a difficult conversation.

我還學到，在傳達負面資訊或進行困難對話時，誠實和直率非常重要。

And wherever possible, try to think outside of the box and provide an alternative solution so you're not just saying no.

在可能的情況下，儘量換位思考，提供替代解決方案，這樣你就不會只是說 "不"。