Sometimes things don’t work out like you plan them. In fact, a lot of times things don’t work out like you plan them.  This is true in life and business. But what if you’re in business and the plans you made end up breaking a promise you made to your customers? That can be a scary predicament to be in, especially if the circumstances are beyond your control. It actually happened to me just yesterday. I had told a client that I would have a blog post they had approved posted the next day and they had told their social networks to be on the lookout for it. But a glitch in the system thwarted my plans, and the post didn’t make it to the blog. Awkward situation. I apologized profusely for the error, and luckily, I have really cool clients so they understood. I’ve been on the customer end of such situations before though.  In fact, just today, I received an email from one of my favorite music groups, from whom I had pre-ordered their documentary DVD.  The email was letting all those who pre-ordered know that their orders had shipped, but thanks to Hurricane Sandy, there was a problem with the promised goods:

I really like how they handled the situation – sincere apology with a touch of humor. It showed that they still wanted to keep the commitment, even if it wasn’t their fault that the popcorn wasn’t going to ship like they promised, and I think that no one will be angered since they’re making amends. I think it’s an idea applicable to a lot of businesses. If there’s a mea culpa to issue, be honest about it, don’t point fingers, and try to fix the problem or provide an alternate option for customers. It’s just good business, not to mention, customers online tend to respond favorably to transparency and one of the benefits of customer relationship management is customers who spread the word about their postive experiences.

So next time you find yourself in a jam like this, don’t get defensive or evasive. Apologize, come up with a solution, and carry on.