Mistakes Happen: This is How We Fix Them

No company operates without a single mistake or misstep no matter how qualified or experienced they might be. That’s why it’s important to look at how a business manages its mistakes, what it does to rectify them, and how much pain those errors can cause you as a customer. Any fabricator can impress its customers when everything goes as planned. Swanton Welding knows how to keep calm when the odds play out and a mistake occurs so we can fix it before that error becomes a larger issue.

Step 1: Honestly acknowledge the problem.

A business might have good cause to insulate itself from its errors, but that’s not a path to resolving those problems. Instead, Swanton Welding prefers to tackle mistakes head on. Whether we’re responsible or not is irrelevant to the question of whether a problem exists, whether the customer is satisfied, and whether we can act to resolve the problem.

A problem identified and acknowledged has already been half-solved. With the experts on our staff at work, with our extensive experience with customers in a wide range of situations and circumstances, we can almost always correct mistakes as soon as we’re aware of them.

Step 2: Confirm how the mistake occurred.

Understanding why a mistake occurred is crucial. Not only do we need to avoid the communication error, assumption, negligence, or other flaw in our process which allowed a problem to arise on the second go around, we need to make certain it can never happen again. When we’re certain we’ve identified how the mistake happened we can fix it. This holds true even whether the problem can be laid squarely at the feet of an individual or team, or exists solely as an unfortunate happenstance. With proper planning, we can eliminate miscommunications. We can minimize the impact of logistical edge cases. And we can make sure you never see that mistake or one like it again as a customer.

Step 3: Develop a tailored correction strategy.

Panic doesn’t solve problems, even when haste may be crucial to resolving the situation. That’s why we build a detailed, thorough strategy to correct our mistakes. You don’t rush to an immediate fix without considering the follow through. You certainly don’t act without caution and consideration when there’s already been a mistake. Swanton Welding works to correct its mistakes completely—not with quick patches and roughshod cover ups to real issues.

Step 4: Learn from the experience.

A mistake can indicate a lot about the way we’re operating, which is why we take time to consider everything that went into making that mistake happen. Not just how that particular mistake occurred, which we confirm early on, but what combination of factors allowed that situation to arise in the first place. By taking a step back and looking at mistakes as part of the bigger picture, we make it all the more likely we catch or prevent the next mistake, even if they don’t stem from the same root problem.

Parting Thoughts

Any mistake can be overcome with the right savvy and the will to do so. It may be impossible to immediately undo the headaches, loss of trust, and frustration of a mistake in your fabrication or welding production, but trust this: You’re better served working with a company that tackles its mistakes with gusto rather than moving on and hoping for the best. Mistakes are inevitable but we know how to fix them and get your project back on track.