Admitting You’re Wrong

Apologizing, in any situation, takes humility and poise — even more so in customer service. In a field where people will curse you out, berate you, and completely disrespect you, finding out and admitting to a customer that you were wrong is a frustrating experience.

Frequently Wrong, But Sometimes Right

When I was a call center representative, a large percentage of the calls I received were from people who wanted their stuff for a lower price. Every hour of every day, someone was calling in to apply a promotion code or get the price from a sale long since over.

Many times, the answer was “no.” If they were the self-entitled type, they would complain and demand a supervisor — as one of my managers frequently put it, they wanted to hear the same answer from a higher power. They would huff some more before either hanging up or demanding the number for corporate.

Other times, however, I would double-check my resources — corporate knowledge bases, price listings, or a supervisor, to name a few — and I would find that I was wrong.

Apologizing can be one of the most difficult things to do in customer service, especially if you were previously adamant that you were correct. The fact that you were wrong gives that customer an edge the next time they call, makes you seem uninformed, and can lower your confidence.

Apologizing and Winning

Knowing how to apologize can help you save face. This is an apology similar to what I might have given a customer:

“I checked our policy, and it looks like you were right, ma’am. We can go ahead and apply that discount. I do apologize for the inconvenience, but I’m glad I was able to find that answer for you today.”

Informing customers that you consulted other associates and resources tells them that, although you didn’t know the answer offhand, you knew where to find it quickly.

Maintaining confidence in your voice when you apologize tells the customer that you’re not out to screw them over or keep them from their discount. Rather, you’re concerned with getting it right. It tells them that you’re not afraid to say you’re wrong, as opposed to if you grumbled through it like you were resentful.

Apologizing in a way that focuses on the solution also helps assure the customer that they can call in the future and, whether their argument is right or wrong, the person they speak to will be able to find the correct answer.

Sometimes I felt like I was caving. Sometimes I felt like I was subservient. But such is the nature of customer service positions. Humility goes a long way in any profession. In this case, it helps save face for you as an associate and for the company.