I called the company that hosts my website. I was locked out of my website and couldn’t log in to make changes to it. Something was wrong. I called their customer support phone number and get someone to unlock my account.

I get a gentleman on the phone. He confirms my ID and asks what the problem is. I explain that my account is locked and I need it unlocked ASAP because I had something urgent to put on my website. His response is not what I wanted.

“Thank you for calling today Mr. Shaulis. While we work to resolve this issue, I notice that your website is due to renew. Shall we go through and renew it now while I have you on the phone?” I was livid. “Why do I need to renew the account that isn’t even available to me at the moment? Can we fix the problem first?”

There is a moral here.

When you have a problem, the company should be solving your problem. I understand that companies try to upsell customers on premium settings, extra services, and all of that good stuff. That should come AFTER the problem is fixed.

Suppose you bought a nice, MNH #C3 from me It arrives in the mail and after examining it, you think it’s regummed. You call me on the phone and express your concerns.

Which of these responses do you want from me? “Thanks for calling me. Would you be interested in the nice set of Zepps that I just picked up at a nice price?” Or do you want to hear, “I’m sorry that there was a problem with your order. Let’s work this out.”

Upsell occurs all of the time across many businesses. There is a time and a place for it. When a customer has a problem, the problem needs to be fixed before the upsell is broached.

If you come to me with a problem, my job is to fix the problem with your order. Do I ever upsell? Sure. All businesses do it. After I fix your order, I may say, “By the way, this item just came in and I wanted to bring it to your attention.” I look out for my customers and I try to find material that people want. I’m not always successful in finding such material, but I try.

To me, fixing a problem is a sign of a good company. And that is my promise to you. If there is a problem with your order, contact me and we’ll work together to make it right. That’s my job as your dealer. I take that responsibility seriously.