Companies and Their (Lame) Apologies

Seems like you can't turn on the radio or read the news without hearing about some company's misfire and the resulting chaos. What's even more telling, however, is how (and if) these companies apologize. Becky Quick's newest column in Fortune magazine (you may know Ms. Quick from MSNBC's Squawkbox) discusses the failings of these companies (http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/04/news/companies_apologies.fortune/index.htm). One of the more troubling issues that she discusses is the case of an 84-year-old man whose Boston Scientific defibrillator failed him. Boston Scientific, rather than apologizing or indicating that the device could be defective, wrote a letter that criticized the doctor who wrote about the incident and criticized the journal for publishing the piece. Interesting, isn't it, that companies (and individuals) seem less able to apologize and more likely to blame their problems on others. Communication at its best, or worst?