Honesty is never a bad thing when a salesperson is dealing with customers. That was an obvious statement, wasn’t it? Relationships with customers are built on honesty and trust, but that doesn’t always mean that you tell them everything. Are you confused yet? Let me tell you a story that will illustrate the point.

In recent months, I’ve shared with you some of the experiences a couple of my friends had while buying a home, and here’s one more. They found a house, their offer was accepted and they went through the closing process. Any of you who have bought a house know how stressful that can be; they need copies of everything. My friends made it through that and got to the closing date when their realtor told them something that had happened just 24 hours earlier.

He told them that at the last minute their loan had been denied on a technicality, and the sale was in real trouble. The realtor in conjunction with the loan officer decided not to tell my friends; there was no point. My friends were under enough pressure trying to get packed. There was no point in adding more stress unless they absolutely had to. The realtor and the loan officer went to work and found a way to save the deal, and the closing went through. My friends are now moved into their new home and receiving junk mail.

Were the realtor and the loan officer dishonest or were they protecting their customers? In my mind, they were protecting their customers and it was the right move. Had they not been able to save the loan within a reasonable amount of time, then it would have been time to tell them. There are times, like this one, when it is ok for a salesperson to keep certain pieces of information from their customers if it is in the best interest of the customer.

It’s a fine line and a salesperson has to be careful: is the information something that the customer really needs to know or is something that is only going to add to their stress? There are no hard and fast rules on this one; use your best judgment and let the best interest of your customer be your guide.