This brief Wisdom app talk on March 3rd looks at the psychology of apologies, especially pertaining to those in Customer Service followed by a call-in chat with Malcolm who relates first hand experience working in this field.
My edited notes:
- wondered why I felt off when apologized to by many Customer Service representatives so I investigated
- not addressing apologies amongst friends
- not saying Customer Service reps shouldn’t apologize either
- based on perceiving an issue
- reflexive, push button, surface level reaction
- contains one (another) to surface level
- distances one emotionally
- psychological tactic of gauging emotional response to apology
- on upside it forces a moment of a type of mindfulness
- how then is such knowledge used? To get the upper-hand emotionally? If so, how?
- inverted cover for Schadenfreude for some
- why do some say one thing, mean another, then do something entirely differently?
- response of impotency or perceived impotency — sometimes neither one can (or wants) to take action, or can do anything, or concludes the other party can’t do anything
- can be a groundless conclusion of limitation
- on the upside, it’s an opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate ourselves as frustration is often a prompting for this
- Possible response:
- Apologize for their apology:
- I’m sorry that you’re sorry
- I apologize for your apology
- Apologize for their apology:
Integrating Presence 
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