Apology Letter

Love may mean never having to say you're sorry, but not so in the business arena. From time to time, a customer may alert you about their dissatisfaction with your product or service. It more than likely will not be related to anything personal. Rather it could be the cause of a faulty item, shipping damage, missing parts or instructions. Or it could be related to any other number of reasons like an order placed in error or a customer losing his job after placing the order and needing his money back to support his family.

No matter what the problem, remember:

You may be sorry that you spoke, sorry you stayed or went, sorry you won or lost (the sale), sorry so much was spent. But as you go through life, you'll find -- you're never sorry you were kind.

- Herbert Prochnow in "The Speaker's Electronic Reference Collection," AApex Software, 1994.

So be kind to your customers who for whatever reason(s) were dissatisfied with your product or service. Send a brief letter that expresses your sincere apology. It will probably be well received and help repair your relationship if the person is disgruntled or upset. And it can begin mending fences and establishing good rapier for future referrals and sales down the road.

Here are some basic items to include in your letter of apology:

1. Personalized Greeting

If you were upset, would you like an apology addressed to “Dear Resident?” Enough said. Take the time to see who it is that needs your attention.

2. Apology: brief, to the point. Tone: quality, professionalism.

Be brief and professional. State that you are sorry that the purchase did not work out. No need to go on for pages of excuses about “why” something did not work out the way the customer had hoped. Something short and sweet like, “Please accept our apologies. We're sorry that our (product) did not meet your expectations and welcome any comments you may have for future improvement.”

Then state what you will do to make amends according to your guarantee policy. Tell about their refund or offer an alternative, if there is one. Perhaps the client would be better suited with another item that you could offer for replacement.

3. Mention appreciation of time and efforts.

People are so busy today with information overload and the World Wide Web going on 24 / 7 nowadays. So when some customers take a time out to read your sales materials and order and try your product or service, they may feel disillusioned or unhappy with the results, they may feel let down because of “wasting” time and efforts on something that did not leave them with a “happy” or “successful” feeling. So let them know that you appreciate their purchase and patronage.

4. Invitation and free gift.

Extend your kindness by inviting the customer to stop back & try again, bookmark your site or keep your business card handy. Then go a step further and give them something free for their patronage; include a link to download a special report or ebook, a free ezine or special subscription or even a discount towards their next purchase.

There is an old saying, “No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” So don't be afraid to reach out.

5. Thank you for opportunity to be of service.

Close with a “thank you” to leave the customer and your company on a good note. It may help to remember:

The reason we feel hurt and anger when things and people outside us let us down is because we believe those things and people shouldn't. Well, sorry, that's not life here on earth. - Peter McWilliams

Brian Maroevich