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)

I don't care if they're sorry for minor errors or not, I just want the minor errors rectified.

In my experience the angry/ rude customers are less likely to get an apology and frankly the way some of them speak to staff, they don't deserve one. Generally though I would apologise 99.9% of the time and so do all my colleagues.

Humm. I'm not sure I like the customer who demands that soles of the feet of the company representative be beaten for minor inconsequential errors. A typo on a letter or an establishment that you willingly choose to patronise, changing their menu, are hardly occasions to demand heartfelt apologies.

However, I do feel that there is a growing malaise where companies that cause real detriment in terms of money or time don't seem to take ownership and resolve mistakes quickly. That is more of an issue to me than phony apologies to minor inconsequential irritations.

What gets me is when a mistake has been made that’s really caused me inconvenience, or has for some reason worried me - I spend ages waiting to get through to someone, maybe been cut off and misdirected a few times. I finally get through to a person, calmly and politely explain what’s happened, and their response is - “No worries at all.” As pp’s have said - I don’t expect a grovelling apology, but maybe along the lines of - “I’m so sorry to hear that, let me bring up your details so we can sort it out” or similar would be welcome.

I work in customer service for a very large company who quite frankly doesn't give a shit about any customers complaints or issues. So I don't apologise. I will try and help but the infrastructure isn't there so I just pass on an email address and leave the customer to it. Sometimes I get them back 3 months later but I just pass out the email again and tell them that's it.

Most people in customer facing roles are over worked and underpaid and just don't care.

Customer service people are the absolute worst for misusing “myself”. As in “thanks for waiting, you’ve been put through to myself. If you need any further info, you can email myself on XYZ.”

Yes I know what you mean, it does bother me when there is no acknowledgement of the inconvenience or bother caused to a customer/service user, caused by an error on the part of the organisation. There should be an apology.

On another note, I was getting a bit cross yesterday waiting for a train, hearing many many apologies for delays to this train and that train, announcing 'this is due to a shortage of drivers'. It sounded like they were blaming the drivers who had left for other opportunities, rather than their own operational incompetence.

Honestly I think YABU. As long as it gets fixed quickly I don’t really care about forcing an underpaid overworked person to roleplay as “the company” so they can give me an apology that we both know nobody means and doesn’t matter in the long run.

Personally when I worked in customer service I was taught (and quickly found to be correct) that you shouldn’t apologise unless it was your fault, YOURS, not the company’s. The reason for this is- you would think that apologising calms customers down but quite often it’s the opposite. Once you apologise and take on the ‘fault’ it often causes people to go off on you - “yeah you SHOULD be sorry- and another thing-“

So we were generally taught to say “Thank you”. Instead of “Sorry for the wait” we’d say “Thank you for your patience”. It deflects from “There was a wait” to “You are patient”. It’s more positive.

Customer-facing people are tired of being yelled at. And we’re not particularly sorry either.

I suspect that the last couple of years have been bloody awful for anyone having to deal with the general public. I think a lot of them will be burnt out, exhausted, utterly sick of us and no longer willing to apologise for things that aren’t their fault. I think we’ve broken them and we’ve only got ourselves to blame.

Since covid customers have become vile....That's all I have to say in that

I have noticed this too! I tried to buy something in Superdrug the other day and their card machine wasn't working so I couldn't pay. I stood for ages waiting for the staff member to say sorry before realising she wasn't going to!

I wonder if it's to do with fear of litigation? I know some people see 'sorry' as an admission of accountability/guilt so maybe companies are actively discouraging their staff from using that word? Just a thought.

Agree OP... any written correspondence when a company has F'd up is just a load of standard cut and paste paragraphs too. And when did people stop picking up the phone?!!!

I used to work in an area like this a few years ago and unless impossible I would always , always try and call my customer even if I the had to summarise a conclusion in writing. It's always quicker.

I think many people now can't be arsed

Agree although often even this is lacking. For me I need some genuine indication that a) a screw up had occurred be its affected me and b) my name is X and I'm going to sort this for you a soon as I can.

Take ownership if it's your job to resolve

I have also noticed this recently. I purchased an item online and it took 14 days to arrived (I paid for 48hr delivery). The company were very quick with responses and polite and very helpful, however not once did they say the word sorry or apologise. They blamed royal mail (i do agree) but did not once apologise for the inconvenience. Which, as they chose royal mail, is what I would have done.

Agree its very rude. Never hear sorry hardly.

I apologise if the person is civil, reasonable and isn't directing their frustration at me in a personal way.

It's all very well saying you're apologising on behalf of the company and to not take it personally, but so many customers make it personal with insults and comments against you personally, and that's where you'll get the bare minimum and nothing else.

My attitude reflects yours and unfortunately there's a growing number of people who seem to be gleeful that something has gone wrong so they have the opportunity to complain, and those that go a step further and make issues out of nothing to do the same. And the old trump card of "They were rude!!" Because they think that'll get them their own way.

Then there's the way people blow things out of proportion and make a massive issue over something that's really not, go in all guns blazing and expect grovelling servitude back.
Dish removed from the menu is hardly a life changing or earth shattering event is it? It's not even something that someone has done wrong, it's a change. Yet sometimes the reaction to something small like this is way over the top. Again, that's when I stop caring and you'll get the minimum back, why do I need to get a load of hassle, taking me away from other customers, to listen to you rant about the fact I personally have ruined your lunch/day/week/life over something so insignificant? I'm not there to bear the brunt of your frustration about everything else in your life, dressed up as an overblown reaction to something that is a minor disappointment at best.

When my GP is running late the receptionist just glowers at those who are waiting and never says “sorry to keep you waiting” In contrast when I went to Tesco for my flu jab recently I got a text from the pharmacy a few minutes before the appointment apologising for the fact they were running 10 minutes late and giving me the new time, I felt really pleased about this.

Hmm, my experience is totally the opposite. Like the woman I spoke to the other day, I said, sorry but unfortunately without proof of purchase I can't refund the item. To which she replied what so you expect me to be out of pocket you fat fucking cunt.
Now obviously not all our customers are like that but a significant and ever growing amount are.

I agree that customer service is dismal now, in that it's becoming more difficult to speak to someone to actually resolve a problem, but in the examples you give I don't see what the issue is, they acknowledged the problem and sorted it for you. I just don't see what adding a 'sorry' to the mix does.

This. I work in a call centre and the foul attitude of some of our callers is off the scale. You can tell that some of them actively enjoy giving the poor agent a thorough dressing down for something that isn't their fault.

It gets them nowhere. Shitty attitudes very rarely invite an apology on behalf of the company, because frankly we're sick of it and not paid enough to pretend to care. On the flip side, if a caller is pleasant or at least civil, the service they receive from us will reflect that. It's not hard to grasp, but some callers will always expect to be treated as though they're special, when really they're just an entitled arsehole.

I've actually had a few callers apologise to me for initially being shitty, and this is always appreciated as of course people get frustrated sometimes. I just wish more people would treat call centre workers/receptionists etc with a bit of decency.

Mumsnet is full of odd people who seem to think the public should be grateful to businesses for letting them spend their money there.

I haven't noticed a lack of apology where I'd expect apologies tbh.

With the chat bots, if you keep saying "can I speak to a person please" instead then you usually get put through to a person. Chat bots drive me mad.

I work in customer service and if we (the company not just me) haven't got it right I apologise. If someone is upset about something that isn't our fault then I would try to sympathise but I can't apologise for something that wasn't our doing.

@Oblomov22· Today 09:10
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.

Yes or they say 'Sorry you feel like that or sorry you experienced xyz without actually saying sorry ! It's clever