Turning an Issue into Your Biggest Asset

This is a customer service success story.

Last week I tweeted at Blink Fitness that I had taken issue with the cleanliness and overall state of the gym.

After a response, we DM'd and I also spoke about some other issues I had with the conduct of some staff members that I noticed had become routine. The rep I was in touch with thanked me for bringing the issued to their attention, saying:

Hi Ben, we are so sorry about this. It's completely unacceptable. We pride ourselves on providing an excellent member experience, and it seems you are not receiving this at Blink Paramus. We are going to escalate this and make sure it is handled. We thank you for taking the time to reach out and give us feedback. Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Here they did three things: Address, Fix and Improve. They said they were sorry, they told me they would escalate the issue, and they offered a willingness to have an open dialogue about  my experience in the future. 

Now, on the fixing part: today I did my usual Friday afternoon workout on a summer Friday and saw something I had never seen. Three separate staff members were cleaning various areas of the gym. The windows, machines and equipment and even the air vents (which last week were blowing thick clumps of dust everywhere).

So, what happened here? The folks at Blink turned an issue into an asset. I had a problem and by addressing it they turned me intro a brand advocate. After all, I'm certainly not getting paid to write this.

About Ben Zettler:
Ben Zettler is an experienced social media expert and entrepreneur specializing in sports content. He oversees social strategy for Steiner Sports, the leading producer of authentic hand-signed collectibles, and is the owner and founder of Brooktide Sunglasses, in addition to providing digital media consulting services to brands and public figures. Ben is a 2012 graduate of the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland - College Park, where he continues to serve as the President of the Home Run Club, the fundraising arm for the 2x NCAA Regional champion Maryland Terrapins baseball team. Visit benzettler.com to learn more.