Excuse v apology
We have all been in situations where we have received bad service.
For example, you place an order in a busy restaurant and notice that folks who had arrived after you were receiving their order before you. Time passes. Still no sign of your dinner. Stretched to its limit, your patience expires, and you call over the waiter who marches over to the kitchen area. There is an exchange between the waiter and the chef and it is evident that your order has been overlooked.
On his return to your table the waiter explains that they are really busy, and your order won’t be much longer. He could have said, apologies, your order has been overlooked. It will be ten minutes and we won’t be charging you for your drinks…
There is a lesson that we can learn from this sort of exchange.
The last thing you want your customers to feel is that their grievances are not being understood. In our example, the diners will carry their dissatisfaction with them – however good the meal is – and they will not be willing ambassadors for your business. A short apology and compensation for your error would clear the air and re-establish goodwill.
And so, the next time you feel you need to excuse your actions, consider an apology if you have not met the expected levels of service for your business.
