True Customer Service is What Happens After Something Goes Wrong
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A close friend of mine went in for heart bypass surgery. He was in decent health, but serious calcium buildup meant it was time. He had both a respected surgeon and confidence in the outcome. On the day he was wheeled into the operating room, half a dozen others had the same procedure. Within a week, all were home recovering, except for him.
Complications hit. Days turned into weeks in the ICU. Then, when he was finally released, more issues brought him right back. Through it all, his wife—a lifelong friend of mine—was told things would be fine. They weren’t. They were left to be solitary advocates for his health, figuring out the problem, seeking help anywhere they could, and, if necessary, fighting with healthcare providers to receive the treatment he needed.
Here’s the point: if that hospital surveyed only the patients who sailed through recovery, their satisfaction scores would be sky high (and maybe that’s exactly what they did). But that’s not where service is tested. True customer service—the kind that defines a reputation—is exposed only when things do not go smoothly.
I’ve seen this pattern across industries and sectors:
A truck manufacturer that handed off customer complaints from one department to another, infuriating all involved and severing longtime relationships.
A heating and air conditioning manufacturer funneling all customer service issues into voicemail, waiting two weeks before forwarding them to dealers—leaving families suffering in the heat or cold.
A lab requiring patients to schedule tests online, but in the event there was a need to reschedule, only offering a toll-free “support” line (with 30-minute-plus wait times) staffed by powerless agents who were not permitted to solve issues.
An EV automaker promising an online trade-in value, then slashing it thousands of dollars the day before delivery, leaving buyers chasing scripted call center agents quoting policy to overcome the problem, resulting in canceled orders and enraged customers.
The solution to these issues is always simple, but never, ever easy: we must own it. From the moment something goes wrong until it’s right again, it’s yours. You don’t throw it over the wall, blame the process, wait for someone else to fix it, or hide behind technology. You stay with it—through discomfort, humility, and uncertainty—because that’s what builds trust.
And, if the organization’s leaders don’t believe in this, the business will fail—leaving frontline employees in an impossible position while being exposed to frustrations and verbal abuse from customers or patients with problems and nowhere else to turn.
Difference-Maker #1: Simple isn’t easy.
It’s easy to say you “own it.” It’s hard to live it when things go off the rails. Leaders who commit to this must empower their people to focus on what is right: resolving issues quickly and fairly. And leaders must be prepared for the resolution to be imperfect or at least different from what they would have preferred. The most important thing is that the problem was resolved. There is always time to discuss with your team if there’s a better way to handle a similar situation in the future.
Difference-Maker #2: Problems can result in loyalty.
When everything goes smoothly, about 84% of customers say they’ll stay with you. But when you face a problem, own it, and fix it, loyalty jumps to 92%. Why? Because your character was revealed. They could feel you truly cared. This is one more reason to equip your team to embrace the problems and turn them into moments that inspire customers.
Difference-Maker #3: The first person who learns about an issue must own it until it’s resolved.
This may be controversial, but it is essential: the customer calls you with an issue and you remain with them throughout, checking up to ensure they are receiving what they need as they interact with others in the organization. Renowned cardiologist, Dr. Michael Mirro, recently shared that he would often be referred patients who thought they had cardiovascular issues, when, in fact, they were suffering from other maladies. He said, “I’d learn that they needed immediate help from other specialists and would stay in the loop until they were taken care of and all issues were resolved.” That’s owning it.
Processes and playbooks matter—but they only work when they address the reality of tackling difficult issues, which are inevitable. And they only work when the company and its leaders are focused more on doing the right thing than the easy thing. Will you own it—all the way to the end?
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