A discussion about customer service points out that failure can actually be a good thing. Aren’t we more impressed by people who can correct mistakes than those who seem to never make any?
This might seem counter-intuitive. Don’t we want companies to make everything perfect? How could it be beneficial to screw up, even if you resolve the issue?
In addition to all of its other benefits, failure has a humanizing impact. A company that can struggle and pick up the pieces reminds us of an athlete that is down but not out. A faceless organization that never does anything different feels cold and inhuman. One that tries but fails reminds us of ourselves.
Failure is the secret to success. Making mistakes shows people that you are real. Fixing those mistakes shows them you care about getting better.