A man walks into a store where, amongst many stuff, they also sell bicycle tires. He wants to return/swap his tire because it’s broken within a week after he bought it. The man walks up to the desk and demands a new tire. However, the lady can’t help him because the tire was used and, moreover the product is not in the system. The manager is brought in.
The man, now losing his temper, is immediately eased by the manager. The manager assures the man that he will arrange a new tire within a week. Its not in stock, but he will order one right away. The man goes home slightly disappointed.
The week after that, the man comes to the store and receives the new tire. The Manager tells him that he gets his money back from his initial purchase, because of the inconvenience. Also, the man receives a bouquet of flowers for the inconvenience. The man, now happy, thanks the manager for the service. “You’re welcome”, says the manager. “Although you didn’t buy the tire with us in the first place, we were happy to resolve your problem. We’re happy that you’re happy now.”
When I come across unreasonable customers, I often remind myself of this manager. It’s not about branding, it’s not about marketing. Customer success is about helping people in need.