I remember a time when if a customer had a bad experience, the employee on the receiving end always acknowledged it and usually said, “I’m sorry.” That rarely happens anymore if at all. It’s not just me, “In a June 2023 study from Customer Contact Week Digital showed that 57% of customers surveyed thought that customer service had gotten worse in the last year, with a quarter of all respondents saying it had become much worse. A mere 4% thought customer service was much better.”

Some argue this declining trend is by design, as a way to cut costs and for those in a subscription type service an impossible way to cancel, thus increasing the bottom line for the businesses as well as the frustration for the consumers paying for their products and services!

I recently had a horrible experience trying to change my cell phone provider working with three large Fortune 500 companies. The first agent from company #1, when he heard I had an older model phone, asked me to confirm in disbelief and then laughed at me. Another one from company #2, asked if I needed directions to the Rockaway Mall?! Seriously, I just gave him a look which I actually felt coming across my face. I remember when the mall was built! Lastly and probably worst in this incident was another rep from company #3, said to me over the phone, “just shut up”. I replied shocked, “you just told me to shut up?” No response, followed by a hang up.

A little politeness, validation, goes a long way. It’s OK to say, “I’m sorry” and it’s not an acknowledgment of fault. It’s a way to show empathy, that you understand and for me at least goes a long way in how I ultimately feel about that business.