When a customer is complaining, it’s natural to want to explain why something went wrong. Sometimes it’s a defensive move; we’re deflecting the blame to the responsible person. More often though, it’s because we want to let them know we’re aware of the problem and it will not continue.
Assuring them you are fixing the problem is good. In fact it’s a must. But forget about explaining or defending or (gasp) justifying why things went splat. Don’t do it. It will not help. And it might make things worse.
Upset and complaining customers don’t want excuses. They want an apology, they want to vent and they want it fixed. So give them what they want.
As a customer, think of the last time you had a complaint and the employee tried to explain, defend or justify what happened. How did you feel about that? Did it help resolve the problem or not?