Subscribe to my Feed
« Looking for business ethics tips? Check out the top 50 business ethics blogs | Home | Have you updated your company’s gift and entertainment policy? »
Business Apology Tip #3 - Consider calling your lawyer
By Lauren | April 17, 2009
My last business apology tip focused on the importance of investigating a customer complaint to find out what happened. You really can’t avoid this step. After all, how can you apologize if you don’t know what you’re apologizing for, right?
Once you’ve looked into the facts behind the incident that upset your customer, you should have a pretty good idea of what happened and how much it’s likely to cost you to make amends. If it’s clear that you can easily satisfy your customer, skip the rest of this post and enjoy your weekend. But if there’s a lot of money or a possible lawsuit at stake, consider calling your lawyer for backup.
Your lawyer’s first instinct will almost always be to tell you to batten the hatches, close down communications, and prepare to defend yourself in court. That’s not a bad thing - it’s what attorneys are trained to do - but it may not be your best alternative. Listen to your lawyer, then explain why you want to apologize. Litigation is expensive, stressful, and rarely a constructive way to solve problems. If you can satisfy an unhappy customer with an effective apology, you’ll usually be better off.
A lawyer can often help you develop and deliver an apology without significantly increasing your litigation risk. It may cost you a little money for legal fees, but having input from an attorney can make it easier for you to make an effective apology when the stakes are high.
Topics: Apologies, Business Ethics, Legal Ethics, customer relations |
April 27th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
In my experience as a lawyer, apologies go a long way in diffusing disputes and lawsuits. The irony is that lawyers are so afraid of their clients apology as being an admission, that they miss the opportunity to put the dispute to bed and avoid the legal action.
Apologies are great healers. And doing the right thing is never bad.
April 27th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Hi Marjorie,
Always good to get confirmation from a fellow attorney! Thanks for writing in.
Best,
Lauren
April 30th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
[...] presents Business Apology Tip #3 - Consider calling your lawyer posted at The Business Ethics Blog, saying, “When the risk of litigation is high, talking to [...]