15 March 2002

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word

But it shouldn't be: apologizing can win your company customers for life

by John H. Fleming
Coauthor of Human Sigma: Managing the Employee-Customer Encounter (Gallup Press, November 2007)
When a customer feels wronged, companies rarely apologize. But when they fail to show contrition, the costs are high, and reduced customer loyalty, lost sales, and damaging word-of-mouth campaigns may be the result. To avoid the destructive consequences of inaction, try this six-step approach to problem resolution.
John H. Fleming, Ph.D., is Principal and Chief Scientist -- Customer Engagement and HumanSigma for Gallup. He is coauthor of Human Sigma: Managing the Employee-Customer Encounter (Gallup Press, November 2007).
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