Mistakes happen; we’re only human. Business consultant Penny Etheridge shares her five key points for the perfect apology.
Acknowledgement of fault is a powerful act; it tells the customer you understand their perspective. It recognises a shared reality with the customer and is the opposite of the defensive approach we can fall into. An effective apology also costs much less than a refund or a discount on service. More often than not, our mistakes help us grow and become better hairdressers.
Really, be sorry
If you aren’t genuinely sorry for at least some part of the problem, don’t apologise. Instead, ask questions and listen again to ensure you truly understand the situation. Upset customers can be aggressive or extreme. Sometimes they don’t think anyone is listening. They can also tell when you’re saying sorry but without you comprehending why.
Check in with yourself
Before stepping into a customer complaint situation, check in with yourself to understand how you are feeling. Is now a good time to deal with a situation, or can you buy yourself some time to prepare mentally? If time is not on your side, feel your emotions and write them down. This small act will give you the mental space to remain calm and positive by acknowledging the “state” you are in.
Validate your customer’s feelings
You don’t have to agree with everything a customer has said, but they need to know that you have heard them and acknowledged their feelings. Investigate reflective listening; it’s a valuable skill at work and home.
Admit your mistakes
Admit mistakes, whether it was personal mistakes or a mistake of the company. Try to reflect on the way your customer has described the problem. It should be a genuine and specific admission.
“You are right; we should have made that clearer much earlier in the service”, or “I can see now that we didn’t deliver a proper consultation, and that’s our fault.”
Explain what you’ll do differently
Explain clearly what you or the company will do differently next time to avoid a recurrence of the issue. You can show commitment to improvement and start rebuilding customer confidence.
What NOT to include in your apology
- Don’t make promises you can’t keep (don’t say “This will never happen again” if you can’t 100% control that)
- Don’t trivialise or ignore the customer’s feelings (“Our other customers don’t have any problem with this.”)
- Don’t defend yourself by blaming someone else or minimising the problem
- Don’t over-apologize (the word “sorry” will lose all meaning if you say it too often)
Use these tips from expert Penny Etheridge to help dissolve any future misunderstandings that may come up in the salon- it happens to all of us!
Find out how Penny can help your business here
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