Southwest Airlines apology: poor, late, and insensitive

Southwest Airlines apology: poor, late, and insensitive

Thousands of travelers with Southwest Airlines reservations are stranded and unable to get where they are going (or to return home). While weather delays initially caused this problem, Southwest’s own inadequate systems made recovery slow and infuriating. It took many days for the company to finally position itself to make things right. Let’s take a…

Rogers crippled a huge chunk of Canada on Friday. How’s their apology?

Rogers crippled a huge chunk of Canada on Friday. How’s their apology?

Rogers Communications is the dominant internet provider in Toronto and the rest of Ontario. When it failed on Friday, it crashed a quarter of Canada’s internet connections, disrupting everything from mobile service to work-at-home to financial transactions and emergency 9-1-1 service for parts of three days. Now that service appears to be back, Rogers has…

After hackers wipe Western Digital hard drives, WD hides from the problem

After hackers wipe Western Digital hard drives, WD hides from the problem

Western Digital customers who had configured the company’s external hard drives to be remotely accessible are waking up to find all their data erased. WD has downplayed the problem, hiding its response in a support update. Should WD be addressing the problem more visibly, or is this a case of “buyer beware?” According to Krebs…

A weak and passive apology from Andrew Cuomo

A weak and passive apology from Andrew Cuomo

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is now the subject of multiple allegations of sexual harassment, including both suggestive speech and unwanted kissing. I’m not here to litigate Cuomo’s conduct. He’s agreed to have his attorney general investigate his conduct. As I have before for others, I’ll analyze his apology statement for its effectiveness in communication….

Representative Ted Yoho delivers a pathetically poor apology

Representative Ted Yoho delivers a pathetically poor apology

US Representative Ted Yoho had a heated verbal altercation with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) on the steps of the capital. According The Hill, he referred to her as a “fucking bitch.” Later, he apologized on the House floor. It was one of the worst apologies ever. AOC had made some controversial statements about why poor…

The 10 mistakes in CrossFit’s “apology” for the racial insensitivity of CEO Greg Glassman

The 10 mistakes in CrossFit’s “apology” for the racial insensitivity of CEO Greg Glassman

Greg Glassman was CEO of Crossfit, a fitness system that is affiliated with many gyms. He shared insane and racially insensitive conspiracy theories on a call with gym owners — and then the company issued a rambling and ineffective statement to justify itself. Glassman’s now out the door. The statement is practically a case study…

Despair, Inc. issues a funny apology

Despair, Inc. issues a funny apology

Despair, Inc. makes posters and tchotchkes that satirize motivational sayings (you know, like “Tradition: Just Because You’ve Always Done It That Way Doesn’t Mean It’s Not Incredibly Stupid.”). And like any other business, they screw up. Unlike other businesses, their apology is self-deprecating and funny. Here’s the email a friend of mine got from Despair…

Felicity Huffman shows how to apologize properly
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Felicity Huffman shows how to apologize properly

The actress Felicity Huffman just pleaded guilty to bribing college authorities to get her daughter into college Oliva Jade into USC. Then she apologized briefly and effectively. A true apology admits guilt and addresses the harm the apologizer caused to specific people. It isn’t “I’m sorry you were hurt,” it is “I’m sorry I hurt…