Sooner or later a customer asks for something that was never part of the deal. It might be an extra report, a change after sign-off, a rush delivery or a favour that takes an afternoon. The request is usually friendly, and the person who receives it often answers on the spot. That quick answer is where small companies lose money or goodwill.
A better habit is simple: pause, sort the request into one of three answers, reply in writing and keep a note. This article gives a short rule you can use without a lawyer or a sales department.
Why the quick answer is risky
Saying "sure, no problem" feels kind. But if it happens often, three things follow:
- The customer starts to believe the extra work is part of the price.
- Your team does unpaid work that nobody planned, and delivery of the paid work slips.
- A different colleague answers the same request differently next month, and the customer feels treated unfairly.
Saying "no" on the spot has its own cost if it sounds like a refusal to help. The aim is not to say no more often. The aim is to answer deliberately.
Step 1: Check what the agreement says
Before you reply, read the agreement, quote or order confirmation. Ask three questions:
- Is this request really outside it, or is it covered and the customer has simply not noticed?
- Does the agreement say how changes are handled, such as a change request form or an hourly rate?
- Is there a deadline or a payment stage that the extra work would affect?
If the work is covered, say so politely and do it. If the agreement is unclear, treat that as a lesson for the next one and decide the case on its merits. For small software jobs, a fixed-price estimate that lists what is left out makes this check much easier. A one-page proposal does the same job for services.
Step 2: Sort it into one of three answers
Use these questions in this order.
| Question | If yes | If no |
|---|---|---|
| Will it take less than about 30 minutes and is it unlikely to come up again? | Answer 1: yes, free this time | Go to the next question |
| Can we do it properly with our current people and without hurting the paid work? | Answer 2: yes, at a price | Answer 3: no, with an alternative |
The 30-minute figure is only a starting point. Pick your own limit, write it down and let anyone in the team use it.
Answer 1: yes, free this time
Use it when the request is small, rare and the relationship is worth more than the time. Do it cheerfully, but label it: "We are happy to do this one for you at no charge. If it becomes a regular need, we would agree a price." The label matters. Without it the favour becomes the new normal.
Do not use "free" to avoid an awkward conversation about money. If you notice that you are doing it for the same customer for the third time, move to answer 2.
Answer 2: yes, at a price
Use it when the work is real but doable. Reply within a working day, in writing, with:
- what exactly you will do, and what you will not;
- the price, or a fixed estimate, and whether VAT is added;
- when you can start and when it will be finished;
- what happens to the original delivery date, if anything changes;
- a request to confirm by email before you start.
Do not start until the customer says yes. Work begun on a verbal "probably" is the most common source of later disagreement. If the price is a surprise, explain how you arrived at it; a short breakdown is better than a discount offered in a panic. The same logic helps with a monthly support agreement, where it is agreed in advance what is included and what costs extra.
Answer 3: no, with an alternative
Use it when you cannot do it well, when it conflicts with other commitments, or when it is simply not what you do. Say it clearly and kindly:
"Thank you for asking. We are not able to take this on because it would delay the work already agreed for you. What we can do is X, or we can look at it again after the delivery on 14 November. If you need it sooner, a specialist in Y would be a better fit."
A no with a reason and a next step is much easier to accept than silence or a long "we will see". Do not invent excuses. If the real reason is capacity, say capacity.
Who may answer
Decide in advance who can give each answer:
- Anyone may give answer 1 up to the agreed limit, and must record it.
- Only the account owner or manager may give answer 2, because it changes what the customer pays.
- Answer 3 can be given by anyone, but a manager should see it if the customer is important or has complained.
This avoids the situation where a junior colleague promises something large, or where every small request has to wait for a manager.
Keep a simple list
Keep one shared list, in a spreadsheet or a ticket board. For each request write the date, the customer, what was asked, which answer you gave and the price if there was one. It takes a minute.
Every quarter, read the list. Look for patterns:
- The same extra request from several customers suggests a new service or an item that should be in the standard agreement.
- One customer asking for a lot suggests that their agreement no longer fits, and a conversation about a new one is due. A short not-doing list is a good tool for this.
- Many free favours suggest your prices or scope are too low.
If you handle changes after a project goes live, the one-page intake rule for change requests gives a similar routine for internal tools.
Where AI can help, and where it should not
An AI assistant can help you draft the three kinds of reply from your own notes, tighten a long email, or turn the quarterly list into a short summary of patterns. It should not decide whether to accept a request, set a price or promise a date. Do not paste the customer's confidential details or the full contract into a public tool. Read every reply before it goes out under your name.
A note on contracts
This is general guidance for small businesses, not legal advice. Your written terms decide what you owe, and in the UK a change to an agreement normally needs both sides to agree. If a request involves a large sum, a dispute or consumer rights, read the sources below or take advice.
What to do this month
- Choose your own limit for a free favour, for example 30 minutes, and write it down.
- Name who may give each of the three answers.
- Write three short reply templates, one for each answer, and store them where everyone can find them.
- Start the shared list of requests and answers.
- Put a 30-minute review in the calendar for the end of the quarter.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Late commercial payments: interest and debt recovery: what to know when an extra job is invoiced and not paid.
- Citizens Advice, Citizens Advice: general guidance on agreements and disputes.
