The Customer UnSuccess Podcast How We Turn Angry Clients Into Loyal Advocates w/ Rob Zambito CEO of Success Scaled Consulting
11 snips
Jan 12, 2026 
Rob Zambito, Founder and CEO of Success Scaled Consulting, shares vital insights on turning customer escalations into opportunities. He explains the Feel–Felt–Found method for de-escalation, emphasizing that escalations often signal a product's importance rather than failure. Zambito advocates for value-add concessions over discounts and discusses retention strategies like digital cancellation flows. He also delves into consumer psychology, highlighting effects of loss aversion and reciprocity, and shares personal anecdotes that illustrate building better customer relationships.
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Muffin Escalation That Teaches Humility
- Rob describes a diner customer who demanded gluten be put back because muffins were more expensive after removing gluten.
- He uses this story to show how escalations can come from trivial changes and strong emotions.
Escalations Signal Product Importance
- Rob notes escalations increase as a product becomes more mission-critical because stakes and timelines grow tighter.
- He reframes escalations as signals of product importance rather than pure Customer Success failure.
Use Feel–Felt–Found To De‑escalate
- Use the Feel–Felt–Found pattern: validate feeling, relate, then ask permission to share a solution.
- Lead with empathy first and ask permission before explaining to avoid alienating upset customers.
