Repent expensively.
This is the take-home message from a three-part study in the U.S. and Japan on how apologies from organizations are perceived. “Apologies that are costly for the apologizing organization are deemed to be more genuine,” found the researchers.
Take note, crisis communications people: Forgiveness can be bought, always.
A previous study by lead researcher Yohsuke Ohtsubo found that the same rule of thumb applies to individuals: Costly apologies convey the most sincerity, and the expense can come in any form, such as a gift, money, a quid quo pro, and/or the apologizer’s investment of time, such as missing work to apologize.
For the new study, participants were presented with typical blunder scenarios, such as a defective product, with three different apologies: a costly apology (“we are sorry and will exchange this product”), a non-costly apology (“we apologize for the defective product”), and no apology (“this matter is still under investigation”). In one phase of the study, participants heard the apologies while undergoing fMRI brain scans. The brain regions associated with empathy and intention were strongly activated by costly apologies, and minimally responsive to non-apologies and non-costly apologies.
In other words, talk is cheap, but flowers, a free dinner, and the overt exertion of the apologizer? Priceless.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
