The power of an apology
Thursday, June 17th, 2010
The Globe and Mail didn’t show up at my door last Saturday. I called circulation and when the robotic voice said, “I’m sorry for your inconvenience,” my anger disappeared.
Here I was talking to a machine, but I still felt better to have my feelings recognized and acknowledged.
I’d advise companies to apologize early and often. Make customers know you care. Be sincere. Don’t be cavalier or hypocritical.
BP’s chairman, Carl-Henric Svanberg, said in Washington today: “We care about the small people.” Later, he said he was “very sorry” for speaking clumsily. Nothing worse than having to apologize for your apology.
Dan Ariely, a Duke University professor of behavioural economics, talks about the power of an apology in his new book, The Upside of Irrationality.
He ..read more

Cartoon by Andertoons
Therapists don’t tell you what to do. Rather, they ask probing questions that get you to discover for yourself what is true for you, your situation, and what you want.
