Editorial
The Gist
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Assume good intentions. Hanlon’s Razor reminds us that most missteps stem from error, not malice. This can help us defuse tension in customer interactions.
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Pause before reacting. A brief moment of reflection can prevent knee-jerk assumptions, which leads to better communication and stronger customer relationships.
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Investigate with empathy. Instead of assuming bad intentions, approach issues with curiosity, question biases and seek solutions collaboratively.
“Never attribute to malice and forethought that which can be more easily explained by ignorance and oversight.”
This strange advice came from Bob, the senior vice president mentoring me on an extraordinary client project. We had just gotten off the phone with the client’s attorneys after another attempt to negotiate, let’s say, an “innovative” contract. I was extremely frustrated. It seemed like the attorneys were intent on perpetrating a hostile clash to prevent this deal.
Bob’s counsel, I later learned, was a business-friendly version of Hanlon’s Razor. The concept of a “razor” revolves around shaving complex ideas down to their most simple essence. This one is probably named after Robert J. Hanlon, and it was included in a 1990s glossary of computer programmer jargon. Earlier variations of the adage have been attributed to Napoleon, Goethe and others.
Understanding the Role of Empathy in Customer Service
Hanlon’s Razor implies that while people occasionally can be purposefully spiteful, this intention is unusual. Instead, their seemingly vicious actions are more likely to be caused by everyday reasons, such as communication errors, misunderstandings, carelessness, unintentional bias, fatigue, incompetence or lack of awareness.
We need Hanlon’s Razor because when things don’t go our way, our brains frequently default to assuming that others deliberately act with hostility. Perhaps this conclusion is more acceptable than our often-bumbling reality. We prefer to think of ourselves (and others) as purposeful and in control of situations.
But haven’t we all inadvertently cut someone off in traffic because we got distracted, forgot to invite a colleague to a power meeting or made an incorrect decision because we lacked an important bit of information?
Related Article: What Causes Customer Rage Today?
Applying Hanlon’s Razor to Customer Service Challenges
While Hanlon’s Razor increases trust and empathy in customer service, it’s not applicable in every case. Sometimes people really do have a hidden agenda. Or there may be instances when giving people a pass for their behavior results in lax accountability.
Since receiving Bob’s advice, I’ve found numerous occasions to use Hanlon’s Razor. It transforms difficult situations and is especially useful in high stakes customer relationships.
Here are a few examples related to customers where recalling Hanlon’s Razor could change the game:
| Customer Scenario | Without Hanlon’s Razor | With Hanlon’s Razor |
|---|---|---|
| A customer acts rude and combative | “She’s a toxic nightmare with bad intentions.” | “Most people are just trying to navigate difficult situations and express their needs and frustrations.” One salesperson once told me a story about discovering that a customer with a foul temper turned out to have a husband in the hospital dying of cancer. She was working 10 hours a day at her job and then spending her nights watching him agonize through his final days. Upon learning this, the salesperson was happy that he had refrained from retaliating or walking away. Using empathy in customer service won him a grateful customer for life. |
| An important customer isn’t responding to outreach | “The customer hates us and plans to go somewhere else.” | “People have complex lives. It’s not always about us. Customers don’t always interpret messages as they were intended. Is there something I can do differently to improve communication?” |
| Rollout of a new feature results in customer complaints | “The customer support team isn’t doing their job.” | “Perhaps the rollout lacked the sufficient documentation, or the support team wasn’t trained well enough.” |
Related Article: The Worst CX Ever?
Building Empathy in Customer Service Through Self-Reflection
Using Hanlon’s Razor and maintaining empathy in customer service takes a little practice. It helps having a mentor like Bob around, but this support isn’t always available. When you're on your own, rely on your internal guide. That’s your brain’s executive function, the prefrontal cortex.
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Start with a pause: Once you become aware of a difficult situation, pause a moment. Your first reaction likely arises habitually from the instinctive, emotional parts of your brain. Recognize and allow your reaction but avoid immediately saying anything or acting defensive. The pause is like magic. A quote attributed to Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl states, "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
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Open your mind: Now that you have regained power, remember Hanlon’s Razor and put aside the idea that someone is out to get you. Instead, consider the probability of an alternative (and more likely) scenario.
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Investigate: Approach the situation with curiosity. Question your own biases and motivations. For example, is it possible that you are looking for sympathy, attention or a place to cast blame for something gone wrong? If you still think the other person is acting with ill will, back up assumptions with evidence.
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Empathize and communicate: Regardless of what you find in your investigation, interpret problems as gaps. Enter the situation with the intent to collaborate on a solution.
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Bob turned out to be right. The attorneys weren’t plotting against us. They just didn’t understand what we and our future clients were trying to accomplish. By viewing the attorneys’ intentions in a more positive light, we were able to work towards a mutual win.
Core Questions Around Hanlon’s Razor
What is Hanlon’s Razor and how can it help companies improve customer communications?
Hanlon’s Razor is an adage reminding us not to assume bad intent when someone’s behavior seems negative. Customers who complain, for example, likely aren’t being purposefully difficult. More likely they are frustrated, confused or just having a bad day. When we shift our perspective from suspecting maliciousness to open-minded investigation, we invite more constructive and positive customer interactions.
What kinds of customer situations would be appropriate for using Hanlon’sRazor?
Any difficult situation between people — whether it’s with a customer, a co-worker or other important relationship — will benefit by considering the implications of Hanlon’s Razor. Examples include when someone is rude, complains or doesn’t respond to outreach. We want customer relationships to endure, so escalating misalignments into greater negativity is in no one’s best interest. By training ourselves to pause for a moment before blaming or defending and instead responding with empathy, we improve the chances of finding a mutually beneficial outcome.
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