Not in the slightest? So the CMO gets no credit for acknowledging the mistake? I would be willing to bet that the CMO is not in any sort of position to make th

Not in the slightest? So the CMO gets no credit for acknowledging the mistake? I would be willing to bet that the CMO is not in any sort of position to make the necessary changes to ensure that this doesn't happen again, and so your suggestion is beyond his ability. By acknowledging the customer's frustration he lets the OP know that the company understands that this is an issue, and is now going to make an effort to correct it. In other words, "he has been heard". Obviously, the comment alone is not enough, but it's a vital first step towards high quality customer support, and probably an instructive lesson for anybody in a service business.