Best Practices for Customer Experience in Crisis Situations

Ever walked into a surprise 9-alarm fire with a customer? The kind where you thought you were walking into a normal check-in… and suddenly you realize:  • They’re extremely upset  • They have multiple product issues stacked up  • They’re already halfway out the door It happens for a lot of reasons:  • You’re new to the account and inheriting someone else’s mess  • Portfolios shift and you discover things are way worse than you thought  • Or, even if you’ve stayed on top of it, product issues snowball into a much bigger crisis The question is: What do you do when you’re blindsided by a firestorm like this? The only play I’ve seen work isn’t damage control. It’s resetting the relationship. Here’s how: 𝟭. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. Open a shared doc or slide, write every issue down in front of them. Don’t flinch if it’s 20 items, keep asking “Anything else?” until they’re empty. 𝟮. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁. Not every issue is critical. Ask which ones actually block their ability to achieve business value. Focus on the 2–3 that will make the biggest impact right now. 𝟯. 𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗼. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝘆. Outline the next steps, owners, and timing. Follow up the same day to prove the shift has already begun. Always state when your next follow up will be and then meet that due date. Even if your update is that the team is still working on the issue. 𝟰. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲. The customer must feel a clear difference between the old way of working with you and the new way forward. Consistent delivery builds back trust. When you do this, a customer who came in saying “everything is broken” often walks out realizing there are really just 2–3 solvable issues. And solving those gives you the chance not just to save them for one renewal cycle, but to truly reset the relationship for the long term. Have you ever had to walk into a customer fire like this? What’s worked best for you to turn things around? #customersuccess

Even the best brands face unexpected challenges. Recently, Mattel had a packaging misprint on their “Wicked” dolls, where a URL directed consumers to an unintended site. But their swift, transparent handling of it showcased brand agility and accountability. Here’s what Mattel’s response taught me, and some advice for brands to prevent similar execution pitfalls: 1. Speed of Response Reflects Brand Agility Mistakes happen, but a brand’s ability to act quickly can turn a slip-up into a demonstration of its values. Mattel immediately recalled products from major retailers, showing an agile response that reinforced consumer trust. Agility in action often says more about a brand than a flawless record. 2. Coordinated Partner Management Licensed products bring unique challenges—aligning with partners and ensuring consistency across every detail. Mattel’s swift coordination with retailers and licensors shows the importance of strong partnerships and clear protocols in crisis management. When teams are aligned, corrective actions can be immediate and effective. 3. Transparent Crisis Communication Builds Trust By addressing the issue directly and advising consumers on corrective steps, Mattel turned a potential reputational risk into a moment of transparency. Direct communication in crisis doesn’t weaken brands; it strengthens loyalty. 4. Securing Digital Touchpoints on Physical Products With packaging increasingly connecting consumers to online content, every URL and QR code is a potential risk point. Mattel’s experience shows the need for proactive management of digital assets. A centralized environment for URLs and QR codes helps maintain control over consumer experiences. Advice for Brands to Avoid This Pitfall: 1. Institute Multi-Layered Quality Checks: Beyond product safety, implement cross-functional checks on URLs, QR codes, and app links. Small details can have big consequences. 2. Centralize Digital Asset Management: Use controlled, brand-owned domains for links and maintain flexibility to adjust as campaigns change. 3. Partner Coordination Protocols: Establish clear, joint standards with partners, especially for high-stakes launches. 4. Simulate Worst-Case Scenarios: Run “war game” exercises on potential issues like URL misdirections. This helps test processes and strengthen crisis response plans. 5. Develop a Crisis Management Playbook: Mistakes happen. A crisis plan with rapid response, clear consumer communication, and immediate action steps can contain fallout. 6. Monitor Digital Touchpoints Continuously: Leverage technology to flag redirection issues before they reach consumers. In a digitally connected world, proactive monitoring and quick resolution are invaluable. Kudos to Mattel for handling this with integrity! #cpg #cpgindustry #consumerproducts

In uncertain times, how you respond to disruption defines how customers remember you. Here are 5 strategies that can help organizations turn pressure into long-term trust. 👉 Own the Challenge Be transparent, even when the news is hard. Customers respect honesty over perfection. 👉 Listen First, Communicate Fast Invite feedback. Share what’s changing and why, with empathy and clarity. 👉 Watch for Customer Signals Tune into real-time behavior across channels. Every signal tells a story. 👉 Follow Through Acknowledge concerns, act on insights, and close the loop—personally or at scale. 👉 Go the Extra Mile In moments of stress, care builds loyalty. Small gestures leave lasting impact.   Most CX breakdowns during crisis stem not from people—but from fragmented systems. When customer data is siloed across ticketing, CRM, billing, and marketing tools, teams are left stitching stories together during the moments that matter most. A unified Customer Platform, like what we’ve built at ConvergeHub, enables every team to operate from the same view—so customer relationship isn’t reactive, it’s resilient and long-term. 📌 Outcome: Higher customer confidence—especially during stress events.   In volatile markets, trust becomes the most valuable differentiator. Not just in what you say—but in how your entire organization behaves. Leaders who treat disruption as an opportunity to build systemic trust—not just manage fallout—are the ones who emerge stronger.   ConvergeHub is built to help you lead with clarity and scale customer trust—no matter what’s ahead. 😎 Know anyone who can benefit from these insights? Repost and share this post with them. #Business #Strategy #Entrepreneurship #Customer

It’s a special kind of pain: being the face of a product that isn’t working while being the only person expected to explain it. CSMs truly get the shit end of the stick when the product breaks. Not just because they're the ones taking the fire, of course. But because they're the ones expected to put it out. So what do you do when: 1. The tool is buggy? 2. Engineering can’t (or won’t) fix it fast? 3. You’ve already escalated 17 times? Aaaaaand your customer’s renewal is in 60 days? Here’s a few ideas: 1. Don’t wait. Communicate. “I want to proactively flag something before it surprises you. Here’s what’s happening, and what we’re doing.” Silence creates anxiety. Transparency builds trust. (cc Todd Caponi) 2. Position them as a beta partner. “You’re one of the first teams seeing this, which gives you a voice in how we improve it before the full rollout.” Now they’re collaborators rather than victims. 3. Put a dollar sign on the risk (internally). “This bug is blocking [x] customers, totaling [$y] in ARR risk this quarter.” You’ll never win prioritization with anecdotes. Speak in impact. 4. Shift the narrative from "broken" to "fix-in-progress." You may not control the product, but you CAN control the tone, transparency, and trust of every conversation. Gangster CSMs don't sugarcoat the problems. They lead through them. Calmly, transparently, and with a plan. And when the customer knows you’re in the foxhole with them? They’ll stay with you - even when the product isn’t perfect.