Fixing a Problem vs Owning a Problem
Apr 05, 2026
I was reminded recently that mistakes aren’t what define us—how we respond to them does. That lesson came from a simple experience that had nothing to do with appraisal work, yet it applies directly to how we serve clients and protect our professional reputations.
After a long day of physical work, my son and I stopped at a nearby restaurant we’d never tried before. The service was slow, the wait for food was excessive, and when the meals finally arrived, they missed the mark. My son’s order wasn’t prepared the way he requested, and after a few bites he couldn’t eat it. When the server noticed, she removed his meal from the bill, which on the surface seemed like the right solution.
But something important was missing. There was no apology. No acknowledgment of the inconvenience, the long wait, or the frustration. The problem was corrected financially, but it wasn’t corrected emotionally. Walking away, I realized that fixing a mistake and owning the problem are not the same thing. One is transactional; the other is personal. In this case, the “make-good” didn’t match the offense, and because of that, I couldn’t in good conscience recommend the restaurant to anyone else.
That experience hit close to home because the same principle applies in appraisal work. Every appraiser will make mistakes—miss a detail, submit a report that needs revision, or overlook something that should have been caught the first time. I’ve certainly been there myself. The question isn’t whether mistakes will happen, but how we handle them when they do.
When I make an error, I’ve learned that the most important first step is to own it immediately. A sincere apology, a clear explanation, and a willingness to fix the issue go much further than defensiveness or silence. Clients don’t expect perfection, but they do expect professionalism. A genuine apology costs nothing, yet it carries tremendous value because it preserves trust.
In the end, strong customer service isn’t about never messing up. It’s about responding in a way that reassures the client they made the right choice in hiring you. When mistakes happen—and they will—make sure the apology and the effort to correct it truly match the offense. That’s how reputations are protected, and that’s how long-term relationships are built.
Check out The Appraiser Coach Podcast for more info on this topic:
