When a Customer Offers to Buy You a Beer

It was 3 PM on a Monday.

The week ahead was packed, and I was already feeling the pressure.

That’s when a request came in—an urgent, blocking issue from a customer I had never worked with before. Their usual contact was on leave, and I was next in line.

From the tone of the message, it was clear: this customer was stressed, emotional, and needed help—fast.

For a moment, I hesitated.

Do I really have the bandwidth to go all in?

But I chose to jump in. Fully.

Over the next 7 hours, coordination happened across five countries, with calls, chats, and lots of back-and-forth.

It took patience. Emotional labor. Understanding.

On both sides.

Finally, at 10 PM, the issue was resolved.

Sitting alone in the office, I shared a small victory celebration with the customers over video.

The tension had turned into laughter.

And then came the words:

“Next time we meet in person—beer’s on us.”

That simple offer—a virtual cheers across borders—is the kind of moment I hold onto when motivation runs low.

At Swift, my world map of “future beer invitations” keeps growing.

And I look forward to every single one of them. 🍻