Sometimes the Best Thing I Can Say Is: We Don't Sell That

Every now and then an enquiry comes in that I read twice.

It's usually a good one. Someone has clearly thought hard about what they need. There's a list: where it'll be used, what it needs to cope with, what hasn't worked before.

And somewhere around the second paragraph, I realise we don't have it.

Not the right one, anyway.

The closest thing isn't always close enough

Here's the honest moment in that situation.

I could find the nearest thing we sell and suggest it. It might even be a lovely product. Something that ticks three of the five boxes.

But if the two boxes it doesn't tick are the ones that matter most, it isn't going to help. It'll just be another thing that doesn't quite work, sitting in the hallway.

So I don't suggest it.

Instead, I write back or pick up the phone and say something like: "Thanks so much for the detail. I don't think we've got the right thing for you, and I'd rather tell you that now."

It feels a bit odd typing that as a business owner. But it's one of the more useful things I say.

What it actually looks like

Over the years the examples have been all sorts.

Someone needing a powered chair that will happily cope with grass and uneven ground. Someone searching for a very specific part for their mobility scooter. Someone after a specialist aid that sits a long way outside what a small online store like ours carries.

Every one of those is a completely reasonable request. They just need a different kind of help than we're set up to give.

When that happens, I try to do three things:

• Ask a couple of questions first. Sometimes what someone asks for and what they need are slightly different things, and it turns out we can help after all.
• Explain why. If what we stock isn't right, I'd like the person to understand the reason, so they know what to look for elsewhere.
• Point them somewhere useful. That might be the type of specialist supplier, a repairer, the original brand, or a conversation with their occupational therapist or health professional.

I can't always name the exact place. But I can usually help someone narrow down what sort of place to ask.

A little help from the people we work with

This is where our suppliers are worth their weight in gold.

The reps and teams we deal with know their corner of the mobility world far better than any one person could. When I'm not sure who might help with something unusual, they're often the people I'd think to ask. They've generally been incredibly generous with what they know, even when there's nothing in it for them that day.

That's a big part of how a small business in Putaruru can give a useful answer to a question that's well outside its own shelves.

A sale versus a solved problem

There's a difference between making a sale and solving someone's problem.

Most days they're the same thing, and that's the best kind of day. But when they're not, I know which one I'm building Mobility Plus for.

I think about this more now that so many people find us through search, and increasingly through AI tools. Someone types or asks for something very specific, and a website pops up that looks like a match. Sometimes it's ours. Sometimes we're nearly right, but not quite.

That makes it even more important that, when someone does reach a real person here, they get a straight answer. Technology is brilliant at finding a result. A conversation is still the best way to work out whether it's the right one.

The long game

Will those people ever buy from us?

Maybe not. And that's okay.

Some do come back months later for something completely different, and say, "You were so helpful last time." Others pass our name on to a friend. And some we never hear from again, which is fine too.

What matters is that they left the conversation with better information than they arrived with. That's a pretty good outcome for a five-minute chat.

So if you're ever not sure whether we're the right place, please ask anyway. If we've got what you need, wonderful. And if we haven't, I'll do my best to help you work out where to look next.

Sometimes the most helpful thing I can say really is, "We don't sell that."

You might also like

• Why We Answer the Phone – Why a real conversation can still make all the difference.
• What Customers Teach Me Every Day – How customer questions keep shaping Mobility Plus.
• Mobility Equipment Buying Guides – A good place to start if you're still working out what you need.
• Contact Us – Not sure if we're the right place? Ask anyway.

Thanks for reading.

Until next time,

Kellie Chapman
Owner, Mobility Plus

From Kellie's Desk

Running a small family business means no two days are ever the same. These are some of the stories, lessons and little moments that don't make it onto a product page, but are part of who we are at Mobility Plus.