30. I’m Sorry, I Can’t Apologize
A colleague missed an appointment with a vendor. She called the vendor to apologize. Thinking about the conversation later, she realized that she had said “I’m sorry” numerous times. She called me and asked if you can say “I’m sorry” too much.
Surprisingly, I said “Yes.” Since I teach etiquette, I would never tell anyone to be rude. If you trip someone, spill coffee (or anything else) on somebody, or inadvertently hurt someone’s feelings, it is appropriate to say “I’m sorry.” And if you work in customer service, saying you are sorry may be part of your job description. However, my friend brought up one of several areas where people (often women, but men as well) overuse “I’m sorry” and, as a result, detract from ...
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