I was recently let down by someone in my professional network—a service provider I had both used and recommended to others. It wasn’t because he does poor work. It wasn’t even because of a mistake. Mistakes happen in service businesses. That’s not the problem.
The problem was what happened next.
There was a problem with my order. He had his employee contact me. I gave them clear feedback and sent a photo of the problem: I wasn’t satisfied. I expected a replacement or a solution. Neither came. And the owner? He never stepped in. He never followed up to ensure my issue was actually resolved to my satisfaction. It wasn’t.
Then, weeks later, another member of this networking group told me that this person made an order and never showed up.
He had gone silent. Leaving this company out a ton of money!
In a networking group—especially in the service industry—your reputation is your business. It’s built on one simple thing: when something goes wrong, do you run toward the problem or away from it? Because in a tight-knit professional community, word travels fast. One person’s bad experience becomes three people’s warning. Avoidance doesn’t just damage a relationship; it destroys credibility across your entire network.
My old friend Chuck used to say something I’ve never forgotten: “Run toward your problem.”
For years, I’ve opened speeches with this phrase because it cuts to the heart of what separates good service organizations from great ones. It’s not perfection. It’s accountability.
The Service Recovery Paradox
Here’s what most service leaders get wrong: they think the goal is to never make mistakes. So, when an error happens, their instinct is to minimize it, hoping the customer won’t notice or will eventually forget.
This approach is backwards.
In service businesses, problems are not your enemy. They are your greatest competitive advantage.
Think about it. When everything is running smoothly, customers don’t remember you. They just expect the service. But when something goes wrong, and you step in immediately—when you own it, fix it, and go above and beyond to make it right—that is when customers become loyal. That is when they become advocates.
Create a problem-solving organization, all moving in the same direction? Get a complaint? That’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. Pick up the phone yourself. Apologize. Replace the item without hesitation. Offer something extra to show your commitment. That customer will now trust you more than they would have if the mistake had never happened.
But silence? Avoidance? Delegating the problem down and hoping it goes away? That’s how you turn a fixable mistake into a reputation killer.
What “Running Toward Your Problem” Actually Means
Running toward your problem means you don’t hide. You communicate immediately. You take ownership at the leadership level. You treat every service failure as a chance to demonstrate that your people—and your company—can be trusted when things matter most.
This is the philosophy behind the frameworks I’ve developed in WINX: The Problem Solving Model to Win Exponentially with Customers, Employees & Your Bottom Line. The model is built on the premise that problem-solving isn’t just about fixing broken things; it’s about using those moments to strengthen customer relationships and, ultimately, your bottom line.
For those leading teams in service organizations, this principle is even more critical. Your frontline employees watch how you respond to failure. If you model avoidance, they will hide their mistakes from you. If you run toward problems, your team learns that accountability is safe—and that problems are opportunities.
That’s why I emphasize in WINX for Employees that the people who advance fastest in service organizations aren’t those who never make mistakes. They are the ones who flag issues early, own the solution, and use that moment to show their dedication.
Right Now, Your Reputation Is Being Built
We’re in a busy season. Timelines are tight. Your team is stretched. Mistakes will happen this week. That’s guaranteed.
What’s not guaranteed is how you’ll respond.
When an error reaches a customer’s desk, you have a choice: run away or run toward it. You can delegate it down and hope it resolves. Or you can step in, own it, and do everything—above and beyond—to fix it and restore trust.
The service organizations that thrive aren’t the ones with perfect execution. They’re the ones with perfect accountability. They’re the ones where leaders run toward problems instead of away from them.
In your networking group, in your industry, in your community—your reputation is being built in these moments right now. Make sure you’re building the right one.
