If you are in business long enough, you will have to apologize.
Something didn’t ship on time. Staff overpromised on a deliverable or capability. The new website system “ate” the customer information. These are just minor examples of issues your business might face. There are far more dire possibilities which would require an apology to customers or the larger business community: hazardous spill, system outage, customer data exposure to hackers, etc.
We’ve been witnessing one of these dire possibilities in real time. Since mid-July, the cybersecurity platform CloudStrike has been apologizing for a software update that took down Microsoft and dominoed into numerous other businesses. Companies using CloudStrike – from small retail businesses to hospitals and major airlines – have been apologizing for the inconvenience that was not their fault but was caused by a business choice to use a specific product.
Just as in your personal life, there is a wrong way to apologize in business. What do “I’m sorry you feel that way” and “I’m sorry you are upset” have in common? Lack of responsibility for the action that caused the hurt. Better options for a personal apology are: I’m sorry (full stop); or I’m sorry my words/actions hurt you.
The essence of a “good” business apology also requires shouldering responsibility for the mistake. When faced with a business crisis, at a minimum all communication the impacted company sends should check off these three communication points:
- Take ownership of any issues
- Explain how the problem will be fixed
- Explain what steps will prevent this problem from happening again
I’ve said it before: Customers will remember how your business responds to any situation in which they have an emotional investment. Taking ownership matters. Speed of resolution matters. Empathy to the issues caused matters.
Points to CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz for hitting all three of those communication points. He was on social media within hours explaining the complicated IT issue in very simple terms; the company issued an apology on its website the same day; Kurtz was on-air at major broadcast outlets explaining the solution before the next daily news cycle; and the company continued to issue updates on the resolution and impacted customers. In every interview and communication Kurtz clearly aimed to allay customer and public fears with the specifics that this was an internal problem, which had been found and resolved, not a security or cyber-attack issue. He outlined the customer resolution options. At every communication point the company’s language style – from Kurtz speaking personally to the more formal corporate updates – had a very deliberately empathetic tone conveying, “we are with you in the trenches.”
After determining what to say, your next focus should be where to say it. If the issue was a mailing mishap with personal account information – sending a letter a month later is neither prompt nor the optimal platform. (True story… a bank.) An email within seven days or a notice at log-in to impacted accounts would have been more appropriate. Meeting the customers where they are is a critical component of crisis communication.
Channel matters for ensuring that your customers receive access to the apology and understand your next business steps to support whatever issues it caused them. A simple phone call might be appropriate. Some communications are best sent in an email for speed and trackability. Others are social media or website announcements, especially if you do not have direct contact information for the impacted user. And some issues require hitting multiple communication channels – as in the Crowdstrike issue. Selected channel depends on the seriousness of the business apology needed.
Clear and responsive external communication is critical in any business crisis. Equally important and often overlooked is equipping your customer-facing staff with information to support resolution of the issues.
- What does your staff need to know to support customers? Arm them with that information – even scripts – to ensure they have the information they need.
- What does your staff need to know about policies? Can you change any policies to better support the current issue?
Your staff are more than simply your employees. They are the hands-on creators of your product or service. They are your brand ambassadors. They are the face of your business to many of your customers. And during a crisis situation that requires amends from your business, they can offer reassurance to your customers as a trusted resource.
Making mistakes is human. Staffed by people, it’s inevitable that businesses will also make mistakes. But not every business recovers gracefully from a mistake. Make sure your communication plan includes an apology template with empathy, responsibility, and speed at the forefront.
