Well isn’t this rich—literally.

Mark Zuckerberg has managed to buy 11 homes in Palo Alto, spend $110 million turning the neighborhood into his own personal SimCity, dig a billionaire bat cave under the place, and still tick off every lawyer, professor, and executive within earshot. His solution to years of dust, traffic jams, and jackhammer noise? Handing out noise-canceling headphones like party favors, with the occasional side of doughnuts and bubbly. Nothing says “sorry for the 8 years of chaos” like a dozen Krispy Kremes.

Here’s the business lesson for mere mortals like us who don’t have hydrofloor pools or underground bunkers:

👉 Service Recovery Matters. Zuckerberg’s problem wasn’t the construction—it was how he handled the aftermath. His neighbors weren’t mad at the noise; they were mad at not being considered. Same with your customers. When you drop the ball (and you will), don’t throw them a token trinket. Fix the issue in a way that shows you understand their pain.

👉 Anticipatory Service Beats Apologies. Instead of waiting for pitchforks, he could’ve anticipated the disruption and given his neighbors advance notice, temporary valet parking, or heck—even a quiet coworking lounge away from the noise. In your business, think ahead: what’s going to annoy your clients, and how can you prevent it before they ever notice?

Bottom line: donuts and headphones won’t erase years of jackhammers. But in your world, anticipating problems and recovering with real value will buy you more loyalty than any luxury giveaway ever could.