The Apology Impulse

A lot of organizations express regret, but few show genuine contrition.

In March 1951, on the morning of the Birmingham, England, wedding of R. M. Hosking, the groom found he did not have a morning suit. He had ordered one, but it had not arrived. He had to borrow his father-in-law’s trousers.

The previous year, the British government had modified its tax laws. It inadvertently provided a large incentive for couples who got married before the end of the British fiscal year. As a result, the number of weddings in March 1951 rose sharply, increasing by nearly 100%.

This put a strain on suppliers, including the company from which Hosking ordered his morning suit. A few weeks later, he received an abject apology from the supplier.

Harry Moss, head of Covent Garden’s Moss Bros & Co., sent a letter of apology, enclosing two checks. The company refunded Hosking’s payment for his suit, and Moss sent a letter of genuine apology and another check, this one from his personal account. The amount, adjusted for inflation, would have a value of a few hundred pounds today.

Moss did not...