How to properly apologize in an email and rebuild the relationship with a client?

Although apologies may seem like a natural part of human communication, sometimes a simple "I'm sorry" is not enough, and a proper apology involves many elements.

No matter how long you've been developing your brand, communication, and customer relationships - mistakes happen. Making mistakes is part of building relationships with customers - don't worry if such a situation arises. 🛠️

Customers may complain about customer service in an online store, late shipments, or incomplete packages. There can also be communication errors, unclear information in the terms and conditions or on the website, or branding issues.

What’s important is how you act in this situation: CUSTOMERS EXPECT YOUR APOLOGIES.

Their goal is to try to rebuild trust and repair the relationship with the customer before they abandon your brand and share a negative experience in the comments. 💔

Have you ever thought about how to do this properly?

As an email marketing specialist (whose goal is to build relationships with customers), today I'll show you the elements of a good apology in an email.

But first, let's talk about psychology. Your mindset and approach are very important when writing a proper apology.

Here are the elements:

🎯 RESPONSIBILITY: the first essential step is to take responsibility for the mistake. Once we take responsibility, it’s easier to respond in an elegant way, even though it may be uncomfortable.

🕊️ HONESTY: apologies should be sincere: being honest and transparent is the foundation for rebuilding trust. False apologies are always detectable.

🤝 HUMILITY: allow your customer to express their regret and accept it with humility. Make sure that the way you solve the problem is appropriate for the customer - what would they expect in this situation?

🧡 EMPATHY: this is not about feeling what the customer feels, but trying to understand their perspective to a sufficient extent.

Now that we know a few important elements regarding our approach to the problem...

How do you create a good apology email? Here are a few elements:

TIME: the message should be delivered in a timely manner - as soon as possible after the situation occurs. ⏰

LANGUAGE: the content should be personal and have a human touch. Avoid passive voice that might sound like it was automatically generated and too formal, such as: "The package sent from the xyz store was delayed, which affected (...)."

SUBJECT: We all know that the right subject and use of emojis can catch attention in an inbox full of text: use an emoji of urgency, such as a red light emoji, which will draw attention and help highlight your email. Emphasize in the subject that this is important. 🚨

CONTENT: the content should clearly communicate what happened, how it affected the customer (empathy), and what the brand plans to do to remedy the situation.

Let’s expand on the content of the email and its structure:

The first part should include sincere, personal apologies explaining what situation they relate to.

Then, describe the steps that will be taken to resolve the issue, along with a question asking if this solution works for the customer, so they have space to express their opinion.

The email should be as short as possible, and it’s nice if the most important things are highlighted, e.g., by bolding the text, to make it clearer.

If the situation wasn’t very serious and your brand's communication style allows for it, you can add a humorous element, like a funny gif or an image related to the apology.

If the problem was more serious, a very personal and nice touch would be to include a link to a video with your apologies.

A good practice is to write a follow-up email that will update, for example, on the steps already taken.

The style in which all these elements are expressed will, of course, depend on the circumstances, the seriousness of the situation, and the communication style of your brand. However, knowing a simple set of guidelines can be very helpful when a difficult situation arises and many emotions are involved. By using these elements, your customer will feel cared for and well-informed. This is the first, very important step toward rebuilding trust 🙂