The CommCore Observer: Apologies "AND" - Don't just say you're sorry

CommCore Blog and News

The recent uproar about changes to Delta Airlines Sky Miles program and apologies from CEO Ed Bastian got us thinking yet again about when and how to apologize, with the added emphasis on the word “AND” – AND what are you going to do about it?

We don’t know of any Delta flyers who are happy with the changes, but at least Bastian as CEO took responsibility and met with the media and customers. AND the company did make some changes to what customers complained about.

This week’s fire on Interstate 10 in Los Angeles brought a range of apologies AND care and concern AND commitments to figure out alternative traffic patterns and fixes.

Axios devoted a long article on the state of apologies with plenty of Do’s and Don’ts.

How, when, where and by whom are some of the questions for the apology. In previous Observers, [September 2023, October 2023] we discussed when to ask a CEO to comment during a crisis. For Delta, asking the CEO to step up was the right move. For an unfortunate product recall, perhaps not.

Apologies are only one step to regain trust and reputation from a SNAFU to a full-fledged crisis. Remember the AND.

Use multiple channels, i.e., emails and letters to customers, news conferences, social media, and town halls.
Continue to measure sentiment and feedback and make adjustments as needed.
Pay attention to the tone and language. An insincere apology and may not forgive the attempt.
While it’s tempting to use AI to save time with the initial drafts, write it old-school. The tone will better match your intentions.

At CommCore, we believe crisis communications planning is an investment; not an expense.

Studies indicate that every dollar spent on crisis communications planning is worth $7 in losses averted.
A report by Hotwire suggests that 45% of senior communications executives do not have a crisis communications plan.
80% said they were worried that a crisis event would someday affect their organization.

Learn more about our Crisis Communications Services, and Meet Our Crisis Comms Team