Between Tiger Woods and Toyota, there’s been quite a bit of apologizing going on lately, and while ideally you never want to be in a position where you have to say you’re sorry, the good news is studies have shown that customers who receive a sincere apology are actually pretty likely to reconcile with the company.
Unfortunately, most companies don’t seem to know how or when to apologize correctly. That’s why I’ve outlined a few tips to help you apologize and rebuild bridges after your company screws up.
When you take too long to apologize, the people you’ve wronged start to think you don’t really care and that you aren’t really sorry. The longer you wait, the more hatred they build up toward you. If you know you’ve made a mistake, swallow your pride, and get out there and make an apology ASAP.
Don’t try to cover up what you did. Fess up to your mistakes in your apology. Be direct and to the point. You can discuss the reasons you made the mistake, apologize, and assure everyone that it won’t happen again.
Always accept responsibility for your actions. Even if the mistake wasn’t entirely your fault, accepting blame is the first step to getting your customers to forgive you.
Have you ever had to issue a business apology? Share your experiences in the replies.
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (https://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: https://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.