The power of apology

i finally got myself down to settling issue with mt e... one out of many, but i decided to let most pass, but this involves reimbursement of medical fee from mum's medishield...

at mt e, they made u pay the full sum, and only reimburse when medishield reimbursed... and though medishield coverage was a percentage of the approved cost, it was not a small sum...

two weeks or so after the passing of mum, mt e rang sk to ask who to make this sum to, and sk asked them to make it out to me, as i was the person that have settled the payment. A week later, i got a cheque in the name of my mother....

i was so tired, there was so much to do, even during the '1 week so called break', i didnt settle this score with them...i had alot to settle, had a traffic summon to court, had penalty for overdue property taxes etc etc.... i only had time then, to attend to things relating to mum directly, and as usual school...

partly i couldnt bring myself to go to mt e also.... finally yesterday morning, sk and i went down and asked to see the supervisor... 5 minutes later, the asst manager appeared.

Sk told him the problem and expressed our much unhappiness with mt e for the distress they have caused my mum and us during the period of illness. He was quick to grasp the whole scenario, and apologised for the 'inappropriateness', did not ask unnecessary questions, and focused on resolving the problem. He then said a new cheque would be re-issued, but will take 2 weeks. I then spoke up, and pointed out how insistent they were to push for payments and yet in a matter like this, it takes 2 weeks!?!

He explained their constraints, and promised to get it done within a week, with personal deliverance to wherever convenient. I told him I dont want to be unfair to him as he may not be the person responsible for poor management and is under the constraints of an organisation but has to take the brunt.

He said he is accounted responsible for the error as he is part of the organisation, hence he should apologise and try to make amends. This he repeated twice, that it is right he ratify and take personal responsibility, and was sorry for the distress we have gone through.

Whether it is a trained customer technique or not, I cant say. He is the asst manager, but he has set a good example. The session ended in less than 15 min to sk and my relief. Neither of us wanted to go through this except it wasnt right that mt e should take more money from us if we dont claim this sum.

And both of us agreed that the swiftness to apologise sincerely, address the issue, and especially his graciousness to take personal responsibility that "I" was equally to be blamed for any error is very commendable. When there is such a total apology, there is nothing else to say.

How few realise how important apology is; and how necessary it is, to mend and build relationships; end strife and settle misunderstandings.... truly very few.... and very foolish too...

Personally, I too learnt from this lesson... sincere or not, I cant say...but that personal touch in personal responsibility does ease....