"Sorry" can be a hard word to say

Apology is a lovely perfume; it can transform the clumsiest moment into a gracious gift. — Margaret Lee Runbeck

For most people, saying that they are sorry for something gone wrong can be one of the hardest things to do. You know that feeling you get when the word is stuck right there in your throat and you want to say it, but it just doesn't want to come out. Everyone likes to feel that they are right. For you to be wrong and then have to admit to it to someone other than yourself can really get to some people.

I was watching ER the other night and this gentleman, Mr. Ames, had one of the doctors on the roof of his home with a gun pointed at him. The doctor had messed up and now the guy couldn't use his left arm, his wife left him, he lost his home; his whole world was just falling apart. All he had really wanted from the doctor was an apology. The doctor finally admitted he was wrong and the guy seemed to be at peace with that, yet he killed himself after that. That was an extreme case, but you could tell the difference in Mr. Ames' face after those three words were said.

If you are running a business, you have to learn the word "sorry" and use it. If you were running late, the client received the wrong item, you forgot to do something, or whatever else it was, accept responsibility. A person is more willing to give your company a second chance if you accept responsibility and apologize to them. Obviously if you take your apology a step further it raises that chance of a customer returning even higher.

I have stuck my foot in my mouth on plenty of occasions, both personally and professionally. It feels a little unpleasant at the moment, but I do tend to feel better about the situation once I have offered an apology to someone. It also helps to be sincere when using the big "S" word.

We teach our children that they should say they are sorry whenever they do something wrong to someone else, yet as adults it is harder for us to do the same thing. Apologizing does not make you less of a person; in fact it makes you more human. As humans we are not perfect so that means that we make mistakes. Apologize for them.