Theodore Roosevelt once said: “The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.” Every company is a reflection of its employees. Our mistakes are what make us human and what make us unique, but is it the same with a company? The root of the fear of making mistakes in business is clear. We are all aware that one little misstep can cost us years of hard work. That’s why it is especially important in business to find the right way to take responsibility for our mistakes.

Is an apology letter outdated?

In business, the safest method to say “I’m sorry!” to a customer’s complaint is with an Apology letter. A familiar script that is learned and used so many times gives us security, but when our client is disappointed, is the plaintext enough to get his trust back on track? Compare it with how you would feel receiving an apology from someone in an e-mail versus an apology face-to-face. A video email is the next-best thing to having a face-to-face apology. You can see and hear the person who merely feels more real. While text can be misconstrued because it neglects all nonverbal communication, the video emphasizes tone of your voice and your facial expressions as the real storytellers. Let’s not forget the fact that video in emails lead to a 200-300% increase in click-through rates and when we send someone a sincere apology it is crucial for us that the message got through. While recording, start your video with an actual apology. Emphasize with what they have gone through as a result of your business activities. Like everybody else, your customers need to feel like they are being both listened and understood by you. Don’t focus on excuses! No one likes excuses! Instead, show the willingness to improve and not to disappoint them ever again.

Can you transform your weakness into your biggest power?

With interactive media like the Internet, a customers’ voice has no boundaries. Every day, word-of-mouse is getting stronger and stronger. According to Inc., 84% of the people trust online reviews as much as friends.The brutal truth is that bad news spread faster than the good ones. You can’t stop them, but you can transform them. Create an apology that will go viral. How? Remember the fact that companies which use video have 34% higher web conversion rates than those that don’t. If you use video on your Social Media as a public apology to your customers, you will change your weakness into your strength. Willingness to make your apology public and open for shares and comments can add a massive degree of transparency and believability to your efforts. And that is what today’s customers want – not someone perfect, but someone they can trust.

Remember, “The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.” The shame is not to make a mistake; the only shame is not to take responsibility for our actions.

See a great example of a “Pizza apology” video that Domino’s pizza shared on their social media!

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