How to Write a Letter of Apology for Customers

In spite of your best efforts, customers will get rubbed the wrong way from time to time.

Try as you may to provide the best service possible, there will inevitably be moments where there you will have upset customers. Some incidents may solely be your fault, while others may result from an opportunistic customer attempting to get something for free via a display of faux anger. At any rate, it's essential that you address the issue with kindness and tact, as an upset customer has the power to spread negative publicity about your business.

Instructions

1. Gather all of the facts of the situation. The last thing you want to do is to write a form letter that fails to address all of the specifics of the situation. An angry or jilted customer wants to see that you took the time to personally understand his complaint and that you actually care. If possible, talk to everyone who witnessed the incident if there were multiple employees involved. This is important because if you only get one staff member's point of view, it may be skewed if he is still mad about it or at the customer.

2. Apologize immediately in the letter. Don't beat around the bush with idle pleasantries at the beginning. The first sentence should involve "We're sorry" in some form or fashion. You can add any other wordy smoothing over in the remainder of the body of the letter, but keep first things first and apologize as quickly as possible.

3. Show empathy for the customer's situation. Saying you're sorry is important, but stopping there can hurt the chances of him shopping with you again, as he may think that you're only apologizing because you have to. Go into details. For instance, if the customer was shorted a tray of food for a catering order, explain how you understand how embarrassed he may feel since he was trying to impress new clients at his business meeting.

4. Offer something compensatory if at all possible. Granted, you don't want to give away the store, but the extra money you spend or lose in the interim is well worth it if you secure her patronage for years to come. Saying you're sorry is good, detailing your empathy is better, but offering something tangible for her trouble is golden.

References

• Perfect Apology: How to Write the Perfect Customer Apology Letter
• Writing Help Central: Apology Letter