To think that people don’t apologise anymore as part of customer service.

[CockerSprocker]

And that this has happened since lockdown.

Some examples I can think of because they are recent:

1. I received an educational psychology report about my DD. I realised that another child’s name and age was attached to the text results section (first name only). I called the council SEN department. Response: “She probably cut and pasted and just forgot to take it out, I’ll look into it”. Return phonecall: “Yeah, I’ve spoken to her - they are your DD’s results but she forgot to change the name, will send an amended copy”. Not even a basic “Sorry about that” or acknowledgment that it shouldn’t have happened.

2)Prescription pick up - DH waited for 45 minutes in pharmacy to pick up prescription for DD (this is standard for our local pharmacy). Got home, main item missing when he opened bag. I phoned this morning. Response: “Let me look at computer. Oh yeah, I can see it hasn’t been labelled or boxed up yet, I can do it now and you can pick up later”. Again though, no “Sorry for the mistake”. It should have been there and it wasn’t!

3. In a cafe recently, ordered an item from menu. Waitress “Oh we don’t do that anymore”. That was the response.

Maybe I am getting a bit grumpy but that attitude just seems to be everywhere now.

Along with making phone calls about most services and just getting a response of “It is taking longer than it should be at the moment” (for example, 6 weeks rather than 2 weeks to respond to an insurance claim). As if that is just okay and no explanation ever needs to be given.

Or chat bots everywhere instead of humans, making it really hard to deal with customer service problems (at least they apologise though I suppose, just can’t solve any problems)

Hmm I think the opposite. The doctor apologises for running late even though it’s probably not their fault, automated voice messages always seem to have apologies. The company I work for once had a never apologise stance and now they seem to want us to apologise to every person, so it’s looking for something slightly amiss to be sorry for.

Can’t say I’ve noticed any like between lockdown and apologies.

YANBU I have noticed the same.

Most recently when Missguided went into administration and were acquired by another company.

I had an unlimited free delivery pass for 1 year with them but was being charged £5.99 for delivery for an item I was ordering.

I asked why I was being charged for delivery and they just said the free delivery passes have been cancelled.

Fair enough they’ve been bought out but an apology for the loss of a service I paid for would have been nice.

Otherwise the customer service were helpful and prompt so I don’t want to sound like they are awful. And I got some great bargains when they were acquired.

I prefer it this way. I'd rather have an explanation of what's gone wrong rather than a fake sorry, especially as the person you're speaking to usually isn't the same person who caused the problem.

Why should a waitress apologise for something being removed from the menu? The main reason things get removed is that they are not cost effective. If anyone should be apologising, it should be the customer, for either not ordering it often enough or not paying enough for the item to be worth them selling.

Your not wrong, customer service has got shocking and very complacent these days

All the descriptions you have given have happened out of the person's control that you are speaking too though, so why should they apologise for someone else's mistake???? It wasn't the person you were talking too's fault someone else forgot to change the name on the paper, it wasn't the dispensers fault an item hadn't been labelled or put in (the pharmacist is supposed to check) and why would you expect a waitress to apologise for something that's not been taken off of the menu, that's the managers doing.

I can understand particularly in the case of the waitress but possibly in the other cases that if it wasn't their fault they don't want to apologize as they are worried about some customers who would see that as admitting fault and take their frustration out on them. It's not the waitress fault that the menu changed or the phone staff that service is taking longer. It may not be the person answering the phone at the chemist who was responsible for the bagging up but I know some people would chew their ear off anyway. It could be a self preservation thing. Not that you would do this but I know some people would.

Agree. They can't because they are frightened it will admit liability.

I made a complaint about a primary school years ago, it went all the way. County said "we don't apologise". Says it all really.

You apologise on behalf of the company. It’s standard customer service.

Similar to when the Church of England apologised for slavery, just like Australia apologised to the Aborigines, just like the US apologised to black people for slavery.

I think some of your examples are reasonable and others not.

For example the insurance claim - did you want to know a list of external suppliers and individuals who have contributed to the delay?

The Ed Psych report was a massive mistake. Hope the other child got the right report and it's good that you realised quickly so you didn't have a delay tracking the Ed Psych down at a later date.

I have noticed much less tolerance for people /companies in customer facing jobs and I suspect that it's going to get worse because of the Cost Of Living Crisis and Christmas.

Sometimes humans make mistakes. The pharmacy incident would be inevitable once every X orders filled because it's performed by a human. I know that not having medication can make someone sick and not everyone can go to a pharmacy during opening hours but they rectified the mistake quickly and without quibble which is the critical thing.

Yeah I’ve noticed this

But on the flip side, often people bark SORRY when they actually mean “excuse me please” which really irritates me

Yes I noticed this, recently bought a piece of furniture that had 6-8 weeks delivery. After 10 weeks I contacted them to chase up and after 12 weeks it finally arrived. Not one sorry, which pissed me off a lot more than the actual delay!

YANBU it’s good manners to apologise for a mistake on behalf of your company even if you personally aren’t responsible. The best practice we used to use was HEART:
Hello
Empathise
Apologise
React (solve the problem)
Thanks (for letting us know this happened so we could sort it out).
I think people are less inclined to apologise in general these days though and I think there are fewer people working with customers who have received any training on how to work with customers.

What an odd logic , the customer apologising ? The waitress would think you were a loon

The old ' none apology' " we are sorry that you feel.....". A favourite of organisations such as councils.

I appreciate that they are out of the persons control @Tothemoonandbackx but whenever I worked in customer service roles, even when waitressing as a teenager, I was taught to apologise - the issue perhaps it “it’s not my problem so why should I apologise or explain?”.

Re : The cafe. If I was that waitress I would let have left the customer know when I came to take the order - or if I’d forgotten I’d have said “I’m really sorry, that’s been taken off and shouldn’t be on there anymore”.

Or with a long delay - “I’m sorry that it is taking a lot longer than it should be at the moment”.

Just a basic acknowledgment, not a massive fuss or compensation!

I thought it was just me that somehow brings out the arsehole in people, even though I am always polite.

We’ve got a couple of on going situations at the moment. Potentially massive fuck ups from companies.

And somehow I am made to be the unreasonable on for complaining and wanting a resolution.

I sometimes stay at Premier inns. You pay for breakfast in advance if you want one and then a few days before the stay an email comes out telling you to book a time. No email went out but as I knew you needed to book from previous visits I did this on checking in. While I was having breakfast guests were constantly turning up for the breakfast they'd paid for and being turned away and told no booking, no breakfast. Stressful for the staff having to keep turning annoyed people away too, when they were already rushed off their feet.
I thought it'd be helpful to mention on checkout that an email hadn't gone out so people were constantly getting turned away who'd paid for a breakfast. Wasn't expecting an apology as it didn't affect me, but just thought it would be helpful for them and save a lot of hassle for their staff and people wanting refunds for the breakfast they'd paid for. He just argued with me though and made out I was wrong even though I was (politely) trying to help him and his staff. 🤷 Maybe the misogynistic Karen slur that I still see used online a lot has made people think they should treat any issue an older woman raises with contempt?

Aren't people in customer service taught not to apologise any more (because it could set people off on the whole "yes you should be sorry, this is appalling!" Shakes fist thing), but say thank you instead? So e.g. sorry for your wait becomes thank you for waiting, sorry for the mistake becomes thank you for bringing it to our attention, etc. It creates the impression that the customer has actively done a good thing and means that they are less likely to ruin that impression by then complaining excessively/causing a fuss etc.

I was trained in customer service by John Lewis when I was a teenager (in their better days). Yes, you do apologise to disgruntled customers even if it was not you personally who got it wrong. For them, you are the representative/face of the company they are complaining to, even if it wasn't you personally. In fact, it immediately defuses the atmosphere and starts to soothe the complainer . Even if they are wrong, you can still say you are sorry (they are not happy but this bit is unsaid) and then investigate so see what went wrong. This has been immensely helpful to me in all work situations (not retail) all my working life so far. I now work in private health care and it is the best way to deal with unhappy patients too. Anyway, I do genuinely feel sorry they are unhappy about things or lack the correct item or information. It helped me to become a more patient person too.

I wouldn’t apologise for anything that wasn’t my fault.

If I’m complaining to a representative of a business and they say, “but it wasn’t MY fault”, I assume that they are a bit simple.

Saying meaningless words is pointless. I'd just rather that they competently did their job and competently corrected any mistakes. I'd far rather that than have someone saying sorry in a dozen different ways but still not correcting the problem!

I'm more frustrated by companies apologising profusely but not fixing issues. Customer service appears to be a thing if the past in this country.

Recently had dealings with banks, energy companies, private pension company, large furniture retailer, vet and customer service over phone has been woeful. No-one capable of fixing the issue, or even seeming bothered about trying, call backs never received, calls hung up, promises not kept.

I'm unfailingly polite to customer service reps, but it's easy to understand why customers get angry - all the recorded messages about how staff are working hard to help get frustrating to hear after a while. It's a circular issue because every time I call and someone fails to solve an issue means I have to call back again, taking up someone else's time.

Credit where it's due - a lady from Santander was incredibly tenacious about fixing an issue for me, where several others had failed. She'll no doubt get into trouble for spending too much time on one call .

Also DWP - I've had to call them 3 or 4 times over the last month and they've been incredibly helpful, every staff member I've spoken to, which I have to say did surprise me

‘A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh answer stirs up hatred.’