🌻 Thursday Real Talk

When It’s Not in Your Scope

Let’s talk about something that happens in customer service — but nobody really breaks down.

You get a challenging call.

The tone is off.

The expectations are high.

The situation isn’t simple.

First, you try to handle it yourself. That’s what professionals do. You assess, you listen, you de-escalate if needed.

Then you realize… this might not be within your scope.

So you follow the chain of command.

You reach out to the appropriate team.

They advise you to take it to management.

You reach out to management.

You explain what’s happening.

And instead of clear guidance — what to say, what not to say, or “I’ll take the call” — there’s hesitation.

Eventually someone pops in to help… and then the call drops.

Now you’re sitting there thinking:

What just happened?

Here’s the real question:

How do you handle challenging customer service situations that are not within your scope?

Do you:

• Overstep and risk saying the wrong thing?

• Stay silent and let the caller control the narrative?

• Or follow the chain of command and protect yourself?

After sleeping on it, I realized something.

I would have handled it even more directly.

Instead of trying to stretch myself thin, I would have calmly asked:

“What specifically are you calling about?”

Once clarified, I would have stated clearly:

“That is not within my scope.

I will send a message to management so they can respond appropriately.”

Clear.

Professional.

Boundaried.

Sometimes we overwork ourselves trying to solve problems that were never ours to solve.

Real maturity at work isn’t knowing everything.

It’s knowing where your responsibility ends.

Follow the chain of command.

Document.

Stay calm.

Protect your role.

Because at the end of the day, professionalism is not about absorbing chaos.

It’s about managing it without letting it manage you.

— Lady Flava 🌻