[DTogo]

Japanese customer service: Apologize to the customer for the inconvenience, then fix the problem.

American customer service: Be inconvenienced by the customer, maybe fix the problem, or maybe call your attorneys.

日本＊ピング＊ (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)

[AmericanInTokyo]

Good generalization.

But in my years in hundreds upon hundreds of situations, I have personally seen enough of this phenomenon to say your observation does indeed hold water, DT.

So often (many) American and other western apologies get that little "but" tacked on right after the statement of contrition, followed by a self-protective, CYA-ish, rambling whine, which then totally deflates the value of the apology in the first place and in fact, even removes it from the classification of being an "apology" to one of just another whining excuse and "it's not my fault", or like Obama "I take responsibility" which I truly despise the most.

I personally think somebody is going to hang themself over this....