“It’s not my fault"

Apologies don't fix issues, but they offer a chance for others to feel seen and heard; they are cheap to give and highly cost-effective.

For the past three months, my significant other has been waiting for an allergy serum to be delivered to her doctor's office. She called for the third time to inquire, and again, they told her it hadn't arrived. Instead, she called her allergist and found out her prescription was delivered three months ago. After explaining that her doctor's office claimed not to have received it, the allergist office offered to call her doctor's office to clarify the situation. Ten minutes later, she got a call from her doctor's office receptionist announcing that her prescription had arrived.

There was no acknowledgement or mention of what had happened, no ownership of mistake or apology.

Apologies don't fix issues, but they offer a chance for others to feel seen and heard; they are cheap to give and highly cost-effective.

Organizations that build exceptional customer support teams recognize that the cost to send a customer a replacement item at no charge or to offer a credit toward a future purchase has immense value. Offering a simple, "we are sorry this happened, let us help with that," even for issues that are entirely outside their control, pays itself forward as the customer remains loyal.

The way leaders show up and take responsibility for mistakes trickles down into our organizations. It sets the stage and fuels the culture, and it ripples into every team from marketing, hiring, engineering and yes, even reception.

The doctor's office receptionist may not have been aware of the whole circumstance, or she was and still chose not to say anything. In both instances, the absence of acknowledgement says a lot about their culture and leadership.

Whether we're leaders in a business, a team, or our family, the question remains.

What type of culture do we want to set? What kind of leader do we want to be?

Miguel,
Sparknotion – Think Differently.