For starters: you generally want to avoid massive blunders.

That said, bloopers happen. Some customers are more understanding than others, sure — but hey: we’re all human. In the event of a mistake, here are some ways to make the most of it.

And making the most of it can amount to more than you might imagine, if handled with grace and charm.

It all started with a 47-year layover.

Oops. Somehow, Skyscanner issued an itinerary that boggled the mind: a flight which included a stop that went a bit longer than most. In this SNAFU scenario, a customer got a schedule which called for him to hang out in Bangkok for most of his natural life.

Image: Facebook / James Lloyd

Oops.

First things (nearly) first: the problem was addressed.

When the customer brought this problem to the attention of Skyscanner (and the rest of the world) on social media, it was certainly embarrassing. It was certainly cause for a snicker or two, especially with the silly tone that the customer adopted.

A very important piece to recognize here is that Jen, the representative, included mention that they were looking into resolving the problem in her very first message. Though that came after a bit of playful repartee.

Matching playful tone? Awesome.

You don’t want to try this if a customer is angry, snarky, or sarcastic. That wouldn’t go over well. But in the case of playful whimsy: game on. Along with the real, genuine help to sort out the customer’s problem, adopting a shared tone of playfulness is reassuring and fun.

Image: Facebook / James Lloyd

In the case of Skyscanner’s rep Jen, she sparked a silly scene in the public eye that people loved. It was quirky, bizarre, and lovable. And they were just getting started.

Image: Facebook / James Lloyd

A hero was born.

Over the next few days of silly back-and-forth banter, Jen became legend and Skyscanner became beloved like never before.

So: don’t be afraid of fun.

The Internet is a silly place, and people appreciate some tidbits of amusement in interactions. In fact, that’s just the sort of thing that gets shared, written about, and celebrated.

Gear up your team today: equip them with the tools, creative license, and inspiring examples (like this one) to encourage lovable personality and pizzaz in their problem-solving!