Mistakes happen. No matter how organized or well-trained your team is, something may still happen to inconvenience a customer. In these cases, an apology email to the customer affected is a must to build or maintain a relationship of trust.But heres the tricky part: apologizing is hard! Weve all felt it the urge to defend ourselves, to convince others that what we did was just a momentary mistake and not a regular occurrence or an attribute of our character. And thats why history is full of half-hearted apologies or non-apologies that have left people frustrated (especially when coming from companies that get exposed on social media).So, to help you write a good apology letter to your customer (or email theyre used interchangeably here), we carefully crafted a template you can use. You can also find tips on how to write an apology email to customers, so you can modify the template or write the email on your own.
How to write an apology letter to a customer
8 tips for writing apology emails:
- Be proactive
- Acknowledge your mistake
- Say Im sorry, period
- Avoid being authoritative or pushy
- Inject some self-deprecating humor, if the mistake isnt sensitive
- Take actions to rebuild broken trust
- Send the email from the right person
- Be humble
- Be proactive . Contrary to customer complaint response emails, an apology may be your own initiative. Imagine that the customer received a faulty product or your software crashed. And yet, the customer doesnt send a formal complaint they may have just decided not to purchase from you again or not to renew their contract next year. Then, its up to you to send them an apology that will resonate.
- Acknowledge your mistake . If youve decided you need to apologize, theres no reason to defend your company or start making excuses. Simply own that your team has erred and explain what happened without appearing as though youre trying to underestimate the cost of the mistake. For example, dont use our opening phrase mistakes happen; while its true, it also dismisses the customers rightful annoyance.
- Say Im sorry, period . Often, whatever comes after Im sorry has the potential to negate the apology. Im sorry you feel this way may be interpreted as putting the blame on the other person. Im sorry if I made a mistake may sound like you havent really acknowledged you made a mistake. Its important you genuinely apologize, so put the period at the right spot.
- Avoid being authoritative or pushy . Granted, its annoying when others reject your apology, but its their prerogative. Avoid phrases like Please accept my apology or Be advised that our company doesnt do this often. Apologize properly and let customers decide what to think and how to respond.
- Inject some self-deprecating humor, if the mistake isnt sensitive . Sometimes, the mistake your team made (or an occurrence that inconvenienced customers) isnt too serious (e.g. you sent a promotional email with the wrong links). In this case, its fine to write an apology email thats more fun and light-hearted than serious.
- Take actions to rebuild broken trust . This is an important aspect of your apology letter to your customer. It shows youre not all talk. Action plans, financial reimbursement, discounts, exclusive access to something are all good ideas when possible.
- Send the email from the right person . Who apologizes depends on the severity of the mistake. For a serious mistake, the email should be read and signed by an executive or a team leader at least. Apologies for less serious mistakes could be sent by a team member or from the corporate email in the case of mass apology emails.
- Be humble . Even if you follow the tips above, your attitude may spill over into the tone of your apology email. So, before you start writing (and after youre done), take a step back and try to get into your customers' shoes to understand how they must be feeling or get a second pair of eyes to review what youve written. Empathy is critical for humility.
How to use our apology email to customer template
Weve created customer apology email templates for four different scenarios:
- Apologizing for a serious mistake to an individual customer
- Apologizing for a minor mistake to an individual customer
- Apologizing for a serious mistake to multiple customers
- Apologizing for a minor mistake to multiple customers
Keep in mind that the tone in the apology emails for minor mistakes is cheeky and fun, but may not be right for your brand. Be sure to modify the tone to match your companys voice.Any words included in brackets are placeholder text you can replace with whatever makes most sense for your business (or remove altogether if it doesnt apply to you). Whenever you see these symbols {}, you can place a link over the enclosed words.Feel free to modify this template as you see fit.
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1. Apology email template to customer (for a serious mistake)
We sincerely apologize
Hi [Customer name],I want to apologize for [briefly state mistake]. Our team tries to offer the best service, but we failed this time. I realize we [state briefly the impact your mistake had on the customer] and Im very sorry.This was likely caused by [add brief explanation], but, regardless, we should have handled this better.Were all aware of what happened and will take extra care in future. As an additional apology, were sending you [offering]. While we know it cant exactly make up for the inconvenience we caused, we hope itll go some way towards making amends.Thank you for your patience. Let me know if I can help in any way.[Your name]
2. Apology email template to customer (for a minor mistake)
We screwed up!
Hi [Customer name],
Im sorry to say we kind of screwed up we realized we [briefly state mistake].
Oops!Sorry for this (were blaming the weather and our horoscopes).
As an apology, you can enjoy [offering].
Have a great day,
[Your name]
3. Apology email template for serious mistake to multiple customers
We sincerely apologize
Hi [Customer name],
I want to apologize for [briefly state mistake]. Our team tries to offer the best service, but we failed this time.
I realize we caused [generic issues that impacted customers] and Im very sorry.This was likely caused by [add brief explanation], but, regardless, we should have handled this better.Were all aware of what happened and will take extra care in future.
As an additional apology, anyone who was affected by this will be able to [explain offering].
Thank you for your patience. Well make sure we grow and learn from this.
[Your name]
4. Apology email template for minor mistake to multiple customers
We blew it!
Hi [Customer name],
We blew it!You may have seen that [explain mistake] this was an annoying slip-up on our part.
Were sorry!As a way to ask for your forgiveness, were offering [offering].
We promise to be more careful and eat all our vegetables from now on.
[Your name]
7 examples of an apology letter to customer for mistakes
Using our templates above, we created examples for common business scenarios.
1. Apology email for a software malfunction
Hi Mr. Briggs,
I want to apologize for our extended downtime yesterday.
As stated in our SLAs, our team guarantees 99% uptime every day, and it was one of the few cases we failed to uphold our standard.
I realize we caused operational problems to you and Im very sorry.This was likely caused by a malfunction in our own servers, so were actively trying to minimize the possibility of this happening again.In any case, well do our best to make sure this doesnt happen again.
As an additional apology, you can use our add-on features for a month for free.
Let me know if youd like any help or more information.Thank you for your patience.
Well make sure we grow and learn from this.
Eva JonesDirector of Operations
2. Mass apology for email issue
Hi Suzie,
We blew it!
You may have noticed that the links in our latest newsletter dont work this was an annoying slip-up on our part. Sorry!
If you want to see our newsletter (properly this time), click {here}.
We promise to be more careful and eat all our vegetables from now on.
Zoe from Marketing
3. Apology email for inadequate service
Hi Ms. Short,
I want to apologize for not being able to solve your issue yesterday. Our team tries to offer high-quality customer service, but we failed this time. I realize its frustrating to wait for your order a whole month and then not get any help in tracking it. Im very sorry.
This was likely caused by changes in the software we use to track orders. My team will work to better integrate and learn the new system. On that point, I was able to track your order after our call and youll have it in two days time.Well do our best to ensure this doesnt happen again.
As an additional apology, were sending you a 20% discount for your next order. You can use this code: DFGRVHR49678
Thank you for your patience.
Let me know if I can help in any way.
Kyle
4. Apology email for call no-show
Hi Duncan,
I want to apologize for the mixup with our call this morning.
I realize this caused issues in your schedule and Im very sorry.
I promise it wont happen again.If you would still like to talk, would you be available tomorrow morning at 9am?
Thank you for your patience and hope to speak to you soon.
Nala
5. Apology email for defective product (B2C)
Hi Diana,
On behalf of our company, I want to apologize for sending you a defective item.
Our team tries to implement effective quality control for our products, but we failed this time. I realize it was frustrating for you and Im very sorry.
As a way to make amends, well be reimbursing you for the full amount you paid, including delivery costs.
If youd still like to purchase the item from our site, let me know so I can place an order for you with a 20% discount.
Thank you for your patience and I apologize again.
Jade
6. Apology email for a rude customer service agent
Hi Blake,
I want to apologize for my colleagues behavior in your call yesterday. Our team tries to offer high-quality customer service, but we failed this time.
You were right to be angry and Im very sorry.After talking with him, I realize his dismissive attitude was likely caused by his inexperience with handling complex issues.
I take my share of responsibility for not preparing him properly on this front.
Here at Acme, we believe in growth and second chances, so Ill work with my team on providing better training and coaching.Regarding your issue, my other colleague told me he was able to resolve it for you.
Should you need anything else, Id be happy to help you.As an additional apology, heres a {$15 Amazon coupon}.
Thank you for your patience.
Lily
7. Apology email for offensive behavior of customer service agent
Hi Troy,
I want to apologize for my colleagues behavior in your call yesterday.
Here at Acme, we dont tolerate this kind of behavior, but we failed to protect you this time.
You had every right to be angry and Im very sorry you had to go through this experience.Id like to mention my colleague has been let go.
It was the only thing that made sense after we listened to your recorded call.
I know this doesnt make up for your rightful frustration, but we promise to do anything possible to keep these situations from happening in the future.Regarding your issue, Id be happy to resolve it for you.
Please let me know if we should hop on a call at your convenience.
Thank you for your patience and I sincerely apologize again.
Bob