We all make mistakes: it’s inevitable.

When it happens, we do what we can to repair the situation, and we apologize.

It’s the apology that causes us trouble. We want to deflect blame, we get defensive, and we don’t like having been wrong. Our apologies end up lacking clarity and sincerity and frequently fail to reset the relationship with the client.

Groupon made a mistake in Japan. It sold some New Year’s dinners that didn’t go well. CEO Andrew Mason apologized via video to the over 500 customers who had a problem.

Mr. Mason serves as an excellent example of delivering an apology. He got it right. I learned quite a bit from his example. I’d argue that the only thing he could have done better would have been to visit each of the 500+ customers in Japan and do it in person. This guy is good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDMLMFxEY4A