How to write an apology letter to a customer in 5 steps

The human factor is an invariable component of any activity. Even the employees of the most famous companies make mistakes in their work because doing always right is an impossible task. Humans are not robots, so mistakes happen from time to time.

However, for the most part, your audience doesn’t care about the reasons for the unexpected. People are hungry for an apology because they had high hopes. Of course, a simple phrase “we are sorry” in this case will not be enough. The apology must be meaningful, it should completely exonerate you from guilt.

What exactly is an apology letter?

The apology letter expression itself seems to be quite clear. In reality, everything is not so simple. In addition to the excuses, your letter should demonstrate your concern about the client.

• Apology letters are of several types:
• email letters;
• audio/video appeal;
• a statement published on your website.

The key purpose of this message is direct customer communication. Moreover, each of them should feel that this letter is meant for him or her only.

How to write and share a good apology letter in 5 steps

So, here are 5 steps to writing a good email apologizing for the mistake:

1. Think hard before giving a well thought out answer.
2. Place yourself in the client’s shoes and see the situation through his or her eyes.
3. Do not make excuses, but briefly and honestly tell what exactly your mistake was.
4. Suggest some solution – some compensation for lost money, a discount, etc.
5. Send the letter to the key person or group of people.

For communication, use the channel that will be most convenient for the affected client. You may send out a personalized email of apology, send a message when a customer calls for support, via live chat, or any comprehensive tool (such as RingCentral Engage Digital ™), or even call him or her.

5 types of apology letters (with examples)

In case you got stuck and have no clue how to write a good apology, then let’s analyze the main types of such letters and study some good examples. Most often, the reasons are:

1. An error of various kinds to the buyer – lack of the desired product, sending the wrong item, etc. For example, the well-known brand KFC (Great Britain) jokingly apologized to its customers and said they fell short of chicken in the warehouse.
2. The delay to the client. For example, streetwear brand Anti Social Social Club sent out short but meaningful emails to customers explaining the reasons of the delays in order deliveries.
3. Bad service. The apology should be designed to fully restore your client’s trust. It should have empathy, understanding of his needs, and a guarantee that this situation does not happen again in the future.
4. Overpriced. For instance, in 2015 customers of Whole Foods overpaid for goods that were incorrectly labeled. An excellent apology option turned out to be a video message from the company’s CEOs to the audience.
5. Rude behavior of company employees. Email to a customer apologizing, in this case, should assure all potential customers that your company hears the wishes of each person interested in its services.

When NOT to send an apology email

• if a typo is found;
• you accidentally sent the same email twice;
• if an incorrect coupon or promotional code was specified;
• the text contained a broken link.

Writing apology letters to customers doesn’t need to be hard

Not everyone is aware of how to write an apologetic email. It takes time and practice to develop this skill. The more often you write it, the easier it gets. There are templates of apology letters online. They can be used if you have no experience writing them. However, the most responsive messages from customers are messages that describe the causes of a specific error as accurately as possible and provide information about its solution.

Conclusion

Writing a good apology letter is not that difficult if you approach the process responsibly. Always strive to rule out any technical errors. But if they do arise, write your apology letters competently, as well as keep an eye on your customer base and check the validity of emails with Proofy. It will increase your company’s efficiency and significantly boost your customer base.