Sorry Seems To Be... (General)

Elton John penned a song entitled, “Sorry seems to be the hardest word” back in my youth. (hey, don’t go there!) That song came rushing back recently, as I heard several folks relating their encounters with poor customer service. In each case the customer had obviously been wronged, and yet responded calmly and were very understanding about the situation. All they wanted was a simple apology. They didn’t throw a fit, ask for discounts, or demand to see the boss; they understood that accidents can happen. What was interesting about each of these situations was the customer didn’t mind the mistake, but were annoyed by the way the employee dealt with the problem. They either mumbled excuses on why it wasn’t their fault, or began explaining why it might have been the customers fault… not good! In each case, a simple, “I’m sorry” would have solved all the problems, and life would be right again. Why does “sorry” seem to be the hardest word?