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The Power Of 'I'm Sorry'

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This article is more than 6 years old.

Why do brands, and people for that matter, have such a hard time saying they’re sorry? These days it’s all about brands connecting more deeply with people and without the ability to say I’m sorry it’s hard for people to create a deeper bond with a brand.

Case in point.

Recently, I was flying on the redeye from Denver to Boston on JetBlue. The flight was delayed 45 minutes. And, even though nobody probably cared that we’d get in at 5:45 versus 5:00, the pilot made a big deal about it. Before we boarded he came out to the terminal and got everyone together, profusely apologizing to everyone and telling us that he would ensure that we would only be 15 minutes late. When we landed in Boston he stood at the plane door thanking everyone for traveling with JetBlue and again apologizing for being late.

John Winsor

Contrast that with my experience on the way back from Boston. I arrived at the airport an hour and a half early for a 6:15 flight. The flight was eventually pushed back all the way to 11:15, 5 hours, and not once did anyone from United say, “folks we’re sorry about this inconvenience". Instead of getting in at 8 pm we got in at 2 am. When deplaned not one person said, “thanks for flying United, I’m sorry it was a long delay.” Where was the empathy?

Think about your own brand. Are you quick to apologize? Maybe a simple “I’m sorry” when things don’t go perfectly for your customers is an opportunity to create a deeper relationship.

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