Student:If a good service recovery creates more loyalty than, um, if things went smoothly from the get-go, why don't compannies like make mistakes on purpose so?

Professor: So you could implement a recovery plan that leave your customers delighted as opposed to merely satisfied? 

老师您好，请问，如果这句话是正确的，我可以这样理解吗？If a good service recovery creates more loyalty than, um, if things （which）went smoothly from the get-go (create loyalty), why don't compannies like make mistakes on purpose so. 

解释：things作为先行词，在从句中做主语，可以省略which, 比较结构中相同动词化简，因此create loyalty可以用do代替，但是在这句话中，省略了do。

如果上述理解是对的，那么是不是把than从句中的if删除？ 还是上述分析本事就是错的？