“I Didn’t Sleep Well” Is Not a Customer Experience Strategy

“I Didn’t Sleep Well” Is Not a Customer Experience Strategy

Now and then in Customer Service training sessions, people tell me that they have a valid reason for not giving the Customer their best.

When I ask for the reason they’ll say something like –

“I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“I’m just not feeling it today.”
“Things are off at home right now.”

We’ve all heard theses phrases before – and maybe even said them ourselves.

Because yes, we’re human.
We all have off days.

But in the world of Customer Experience & Customer Service, we need to ask a couple of hard questions – before we decide to disengage from being of service:

The first question:

For me is this a case of short-term discomfort or long-term burnout?

There’s a difference between not having slept well the night before and suffering from long-term burnout.

If we’re talking about long-term burnout this post is not for you. Please get the help you need. This is serious stuff.

On the other hand, if we’re talking about short-term discomforts such as I didn’t sleep well last night or I’m hungry because I skipped lunch today – here’s the second question:

Does going through short-term discomfort give us a free pass to disengage from our Customer?

Temporary Discomfort ≠ Burnout

Not sleeping well. Having a difficult morning. Feeling a little “off.”

These are short-term conditions. In most cases, they pass with a good night’s rest, some fresh air or a reset moment.

Burnout, on the other hand, is chronic.

It builds over time and can result in exhaustion, cynicism and a decline in performance. Burnout deserves attention, support, and often structural change (such as changing job roles or employers).

But confusing the two or worse – treating short-term discomfort as a justification for poor performance – puts everyone at risk:

Customers receive inconsistent or even negative experiences.
Teammates pick up the slack and all that comes with that.
Individuals slip into patterns of avoidance rather than resilience.

Our Customers don’t get the Backstory

It may sound harsh, but it’s true: Customers don’t care if you had a bad night.

They’re not unkind – they just don’t know. And they have their own challenges, needs and expectations when they reach out.

They simply want someone who’s present, professional and prepared to help.

If we let every poor night’s sleep or tough morning become a reason to disengage, we risk negatively impacting the workplace culture – one where the bar keeps slipping lower.

That’s not sustainable. And it’s not professional.

Self-Management Is a Leadership Skill

Great professionals – whether they’re acting on a theater stage, conducting heart surgery, teaching students, cutting your hair or flying a plane – learn how to self-regulate.

They find ways to bring the best version of themselves, even when the circumstances aren’t ideal.

In our training programs, we often talk about the link between –

The choices we make about the behaviors we bring into the world
And how those behaviors impact others

It’s important to remember that you always have a choice.

And in our work with some of the best service organizations in the world, we meet people who consistently make better choices about their own behaviors.

Support vs. Enablement

Of course, if someone is chronically tired, disengaged, or emotionally drained, real solutions are required. They can benefit from getting some help.

But we must differentiate between helping someone and enabling someone.

Helping in this context is checking in, coaching, offering rest and resources.
Enabling is saying, “It’s okay you gave poor service – you didn’t sleep well.”

Support the person.
But don’t excuse the behavior.