The Power of Apology
    The LA Daily News reported yesterday that when “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno received a letter from viewer Wendy Bogin chiding him about his sketch comparing Vice President Dick Cheney’s hunting accident to the shooting of her friend by a gunman during rampage outside the Van Nuys Courthouse, saying it was tasteless and that he should “do the right thing relative to this matter” he did just that. Leno picked up the phone and called her.
      “Hello Wendy, this is Jay Leno. I’m calling about the letter you wrote and I want to apologize. I just want to let you know we make mistakes sometimes and we don’t mean to hurt people.”
    According to the report, Wendy thanked him and “called him a mensch and a model for the entire community.” Leno’s selfless act of integrity earned him respect. It helped protect his reputation and his brand.
    How many businesses are willing to do the same? Regrettably, not enough.
    When faced with a complaint the natural reaction of most organizations is to defend and hunker down. Yet in a refreshing change of pace, some businesses have started to recognize the power of an apology.
    The airline industry, for example, has discovered that empathizing with family members whose loved ones perish in aviation disasters and assisting them generates goodwill that translates directly to the bottom line — fewer wrongful death suits. That’s why some airlines are aligning their interests with the families’ by providing assistance in making funeral arrangements, grief counseling and more. They’ve learned that it’s harder to sue someone when that someone is actively helping you solve your problems.
    How does your company help disgruntled customers solve their problems?
    For more information about how managing customer expectations helps avoid lawsuits and builds stronger business relationships read The Business Guide to Legal Literacy: What Every Manager Needs to Know About the Law.
Â