I hate forced apologies or those made to customers even if nothing you did was wrong.
I do appreciate empathy when things get messed up.
I try not to forget to practice it myself when the road gets bumpy.
In the Change This edition of October 14, Jeanne Bliss offers a “Peace Process” for Growing Your Business.
As she reminds us, it's not about just doing it:
test. Let’s face it, at some point; your business will suffer a failure
that disappoints customers. How your company reacts, explains, removes
the pain, and takes accountability for actions signals how you think
about customers, and the collective heart of your organization. Grace
and wisdom guide decisions of beloved companies toward accepting
responsibility and resolving the situation when the chips are down—not
accusations and skirting accountability."
Honesty and communication with customers is key.
Putting a short message on your website, a sign in your branch or store goes some way.
I mentioned such things to people at TD Bank during and after their recent mess.
Little gestures like waiving some monthly fees in the weeks following the TD Bank events would have shown some empathy but it does not seem like they thought this through.
Maybe they should read Jeanne Bliss advice and give her a call.
Her latest book cover is above.
I don't know if she means what the title states literally…