--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best way to apologize is to let the…" description: "\"The best way to apologize is to let the customer vent first. Don't interrupt, just take notes and make empathetic noises. You can even tell the custome..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/jeffrey-gitomer-2442_ants_the-best-way-to-apologize-is-to-let-the_3147495.png" --- # The best way to apologize is to let the customer vent… ![“The best way to apologize is to let the customer vent first. Don't interrupt, just take notes and make empathetic noises. You can even tell the customer that it makes you mad too. Second, ask the customer what their speed of need is. Tell them what they ant to hear. That you apologize, that you…” quote by Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/jeffrey-gitomer-2442_ants_the-best-way-to-apologize-is-to-let-the_3147495.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/jeffrey-gitomer-2442_ants_the-best-way-to-apologize-is-to-let-the_3147495.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe2/jeffrey-gitomer-2442_ants_the-best-way-to-apologize-is-to-let-the_3147495.png) > “The best way to apologize is to let the customer vent first. Don't interrupt, just take notes and make empathetic noises. You can even tell the customer that it makes you mad too. Second, ask the customer what their speed of need is. Tell them what they ant to hear. That you apologize, that you understand how they feel, that you are meeting with the appropriate people to get a resolve, and that it will be done in 24-hours.” [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective apologies in customer service require listening, empathy, and clear next steps, turning complaints into trust. **In simple terms:** Listen, empathize, and promise swift resolution. Key Takeaway Apologize, listen, act quickly. Themes customer service communication trust building Mood empathetic professional Type advice instructional When to use this quote - call center - online support - retention strategies - complaint handling Key Concepts active listening empathy resolution planning Questions to Reflect On - How can you show genuine empathy? - What follow‑up actions reinforce trust? A Different Perspective May seem insincere if not genuine. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) [Apologize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologize/) [Apologizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologizing/) [Appropriate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appropriate/) [Ask Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-customer-767370/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Best way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-way/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Customer Vent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-vent-5635303/) [Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Empathetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathetic/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Hear Apologize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hear-apologize-5635304/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Mad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mad/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Noise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noise/) [Notes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notes/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Resolve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolve/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/) [Tell Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-customer-2315212/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [The two critical questions to ask are: "Who is my customer?" and "What value am I adding?" Unfortunately, many workers cannot answer these questions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-capodagli/the-two-critical-questions-to-ask-are-who-is-my-customer-and-what/) [Bill Capodagli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-capodagli/) > [As a retailer, I would ask the customer, "What is it you want in life?" Whatever answer they give, I would help them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/as-a-retailer-i-would-ask-the-customer-what-is-it-you-want-in-life/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [When you lose a customer, it can be tempting to tell each other, "That customer's not very sharp. They just made the wrong decision".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/when-you-lose-a-customer-it-can-be-tempting-to-tell-each-other-that/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [It is possible to tell a customer "no", and have the customer thank you for doing it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-knight/it-is-possible-to-tell-a-customer-no-and-have-the-customer-thank-you/) [Phil Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-knight/) > [We grow by letting the customer tell us. So when the customer tells us that they're frustrated, that they just got their catalogue and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/we-grow-by-letting-the-customer-tell-us-so-when-the-customer-tells-us/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [Make intercessory prayer a priority in your life and the life of your family. It will cause you to be more empathetic, less self-obsessed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-johnson/make-intercessory-prayer-a-priority-in-your-life-and-the-life-of-your/) [Monica Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-johnson/) > [I got kids now... It gives you an empathetic feeling into other cultures and stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-got-kids-now-it-gives-you-an-empathetic-feeling-into-other-cultures/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [Hillary Clinton's not seen as empathetic and compassionate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/hillary-clinton-s-not-seen-as-empathetic-and-compassionate/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [People didn't feel so much shame around it and that they didn't feel so much humiliation around it. 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If we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/to-me-bringing-mindfulness-bas-ed-practices-to-students-teachers-and/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [We're wired to be empathetic and to care about the needs of others, but also to be curious about others. And I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/we-re-wired-to-be-empathetic-and-to-care-about-the-needs-of-others/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [To be empathetic to everyone around you, I think, is such a powerful thing to hold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/to-be-empathetic-to-everyone-around-you-i-think-is-such-a-powerful/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [“The most prolific and accomplished hunters were not the most bloodthirsty and indefatigable. They were the most cool and empathetic. 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And wouldn't you deliver better service if you thought of it that way?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/biggest-question-isn-t-it-really-customer-helping-rather-than/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [Sell yourself before you try to sell your company or your product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/sell-yourself-before-you-try-to-sell-your-company-or-your-product/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [There's no lotion or potion that will make sales faster and easier for you - unless your potion is hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/there-s-no-lotion-or-potion-that-will-make-sales-faster-and-easier/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [Trust is not a request, Trust is earned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/trust-is-not-a-request-trust-is-earned/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) [Explore all 166 Jeffrey Gitomer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) ## More Ants quotes > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [Great God of the Ants, thou hast granted victory to thy servants. I appoint thee honorary Colonel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-capek/great-god-of-the-ants-thou-hast-granted-victory-to-thy-servants-i/) [Karel Capek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-capek/) > [Pray look upon the plants and birds, the ants, spiders, and bees, and you will see them all exerting their nature, and busy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/pray-look-upon-the-plants-and-birds-the-ants-spiders-and-bees-and-you/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [People are like ants: Just a few of them give all the orders. 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ESPECIALLY ANTS ARMED WITH HIGH-YIELD EXPLOSIVES…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amie-kaufman/the-fighters-are-tiny-insects-really-but-ants-can-slay-an-elephant-if/) [Amie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amie-kaufman/) > [We know of no behavior in ants or any other social insects that can be construed as play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-holldobler/we-know-of-no-behavior-in-ants-or-any-other-social-insects-that-can/) [Bert Holldobler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-holldobler/) > [Oh, ants, my sisters, good old honeydew-seekers! From close up you are sticky and shiny and gristly; and your nymphs have parasitic red mites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/oh-ants-my-sisters-good-old-honeydew-seekers-from-close-up-you-are/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [When someone criticizes or disagrees with you, a small ant of hatred and antagonism is born in your heart. If you do not squash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/when-someone-criticizes-or-disagrees-with-you-a-small-ant-of-hatred/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Lies are like ants; there's never just one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-ash/lies-are-like-ants-there-s-never-just-one/) [Julia Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-ash/) > [There's a scientific hypothesis that every person's name is a primary suggestive command that contains the entire script of their life in highly concentrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-pelevin/there-s-a-scientific-hypothesis-that-every-person-s-name-is-a-primary/) [Victor Pelevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-pelevin/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. But now that I'm older, I'm more of a cat guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-was-little-i-would-burn-ants-with-a-magnifying-glass-but-now/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [If ants were the size of humans, they would be able to run twice as fast as a Lamborghini.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-ants-were-the-size-of-humans-they-would-be-able-to-run-twice-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 499 Ants quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The best way to apologize is to let the customer vent first. Don't interrupt, just take notes and make empathetic noises. You can even tell the customer that it makes you mad too. Second, ask the customer what their speed of need is. Tell them what they ant to hear. 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