We use a theory of apologies to design a nationwide field experiment involving 1.5 million Uber ridesharing consumers who experienced late rides. Several insights emerge. First, apologies are not a panacea—the efficacy of an apology and whether it may backfire depend on how the apology is made. Second, across treatments, money speaks louder than words—the best form of apology is to include a coupon for a future trip. Third, in some cases sending an apology is worse than sending nothing at all, particularly for repeated apologies and apologies that promise to do better. For firms, caveat venditor should be the rule when considering apologies.

中文翻译：

---

对道歉经济学的理解：来自大规模自然野外实验的证据

我们使用道歉理论设计了一个全国性的现场实验，涉及 150 万经历过迟到的 Uber 拼车消费者。出现了一些见解。首先，道歉不是万能的——道歉的效果以及是否会适得其反，取决于道歉的方式。其次，在治疗中，钱胜于雄辩——最好的道歉形式是附上一张未来旅行的优惠券。第三，在某些情况下，发送道歉比什么都不发送更糟糕，特别是对于反复道歉和承诺会做得更好的道歉。对于公司来说，在考虑道歉时，警告供应商应该是规则。