Many organizations train employees to use a step-by-step method for problem resolution. This is an effective way to ensure that employees handle customer issues according to company standards and prevent customers from leaving. The challenge is that some employees focus on problem solving steps alone and may miss prime opportunities to impress the customer.

In Lydia Ramsey's case, the missed opportunity was an airline employee who begrudgingly upgraded her to first class on a rescheduled flight. The passenger saw the seat number and asked if it was first class, and the unfriendly airline employee said that it was. As Ramsey points out, the employee could have used the first class seat as a way to tell the passenger, "We're sorry for the inconvenience of the rescheduled flight, however we are happy to offer you a first class seat." With this type of offering from the airline employee, how likely is it that the passenger would have felt good about the airline again? Changes are good that the passenger would have been more pleased with the airline, despite the circumstances.

In any industry, it’s critical to not only have a problem resolution model in place, but also to continually evaluate it.  Firms should provide guidance to employees on how to use the problem solving model to identify ways to impress the customer.  It doesn’t have to be a first class seat to make customers feel that they matter!