The art of the CX rescue

A voice rises across the dining room. One customer is clearly furious, the server is flustered, other diners are watching. The temperature is rising. You’re the manager. What now?

Here are three options often seen in the wild.

One: Storm in, shove your server aside, apologise like mad, blame your staff, and promise heaven. Later, shout at the server—and the chef, why not.

Two: Storm in, size up the guest as entitled, drunk, unreasonable. Shout at them, tell them to leave if they don’t like it.

Three: Do nothing. You’re shut off in your office, or busy with your side hustle. Sorting customers out? That’s what staff are for, right?

All three happen in real life. All three are clumsy, if not outright dumb.

So what does a real CX rescue look like? You step in, yes—but with your ears first, not your ego. Listen hard. What actually happened? Who’s at fault, if anyone? Hold your ground with an even temperament. Speak softly. If you’re wrong, apologise. If the server slipped, note it for later coaching, not public shaming. If the customer is simply bullying, stay calm but firm. If no resolution is possible, it’s fine to let them leave without paying.

Some principles apply everywhere—restaurant, bank, supermarket, government office. Never humiliate your employees. Never abuse your customers. Always listen. Always keep your cool. Kind first; firm when you must.

Where bosses make options 1-3 their playbook, mediocrity is guaranteed. CX only works when it’s bossed from the top. Leaders who care about CX set tone and standards, and invest in people and systems. Leaders who don’t, reduce CX to a game of pretence. They chant “customer centricity” while only chasing coins.

That’s the core argument of my book, The X in CX: great experience has to be led. If the top doesn’t live it, no one else will.

When leaders really care about CX outcomes, the difference is stark. Customer centricity becomes a tangible reality rather than a fru-fru slogan. Because everyone is on it, top to bottom. When leaders are indifferent, they never prioritise the right investments in people, product, and systems. They only pretend to care about anyone’s feelings—and yet those very feelings could drive their success for decades to come.

Back to our restaurant. The guest is gone, calm restored. Now comes the most important part. Gather your team that same day. Ask: what went wrong? What could we do better—including me? Let everyone speak. Then teach. CX rescues become culture when leaders turn incidents into learning. A crisis handled well often leaves a deeper impression than a smooth day. The rescue becomes the story. When it’s done well, customers retell it, positively. And staff learn to model the behaviour.

Start with human decency, and the rest follows naturally.

THE SIGNAL IN THE NOISE

A true CX rescue isn’t damage control—it’s leadership on display. Customers see it, employees feel it, and the culture is set by it.

 

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