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Hired apologizers end sorry state of affairs
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PEOPLE in North China consumed by regret over a spat with a relative, but unable to apologize, are turning to the Tianjin Apology and Gift Centre. Its motto? “We say sorry for you.”
Set up to tackle the complicated process of apologizing, the firm has had about 100 clients since it was established in August.
“Of course, it's more sincere if you apologize by yourself, but often in China that's difficult or impossible,” said founder Liu Qing.
Mr Liu cited the case of Mr Song, who would not give his full name. Mr Song fell out with his father several years ago over money. When he brought gifts of reconciliation to his father's home last September, he had them thrown back in his face.
He turned to the firm, and after five difficult visits by its representatives, he was happily reunited.
Apologies are serious matters and must be delivered with the proper gravity. They require a great loss of face. “It's much easier for a Westerner to say ‘sorry’than a Chinese--I mean they're always saying ‘excuse me’and ‘sorry’,” said Zhou Xiaozheng, a sociology professor at People's University. “As a society, China lacks the spirit of apologizing.”
But Chinese consumers, however awkwardly, seem to be warming to the concept of aided apologies.
The Tianjin firm is an arm of a stress reduction centre, and along with its apologies offers psychological services like evaluations of stress level and support groups for teens.
(SD-Agencies)
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