Admitting to making a mistake is hard and figuring out how to apologize in an email can be even harder because of how impersonal the platform can be. When it comes to errors at work, flowery language and promises of making up for it can be considered too casual, so it is important to learn how to say sorry in a professional email to ensure that you are able to correctly atone for the error. Ignoring the problem and hoping it goes away is easy but dealing with the consequences isn’t as it can convey a lack of sincerity in your work and a disregard for the person to whom the apology needs to go out. It’s time to open up your inbox and craft a professional apology email that can help you save face at work.
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How to Apologize in an Email
Learning how to say sorry in a professional email is no different from any other workplace communication, in that it requires a formal tone to be maintained when you communicate. This, however, does not mean the apology has to be mechanical and insincere. Apologizing over email requires the same kind of genuine thought behind it that an apology to a friend or family member would require; it is only the vocabulary that really changes. There are many apology email examples available online, but for it to be genuine, you need to be able to correctly reflect on what you are apologizing for and how you mean to address the aftereffects of an error that was made.
How you apologize in an email can differ based on what you are apologizing for. In cases of a delay in your work or a missed attachment in an email, the apology only has to focus on your acknowledgement of the error in your email as there isn’t too much additional work to do other than attach the file correctly this time. For more serious errors where the chain of work was affected by your mistake or a client is upset by your quality of work, you might have to also acknowledge what you intend to do to ensure the error is fixed or that it does not occur again. Before you work out how to say sorry in a professional email, you need to have these elements clearly planned out.
The Introduction in a Professional Apology Email
The main components while practising how to apologize in emails remain the same as any other professional letter—the introduction, the body of the letter, and the closing words. Each section needs to be approached with care to ensure you can get your apology across briefly but with sincerity.
The Subject Line
While writing the email to express that you are sorry, you can make a brief mention of it in the subject line so the receiver is aware of the contents of the email in advance, even if they do not have time to read the email immediately. A professional apology email will not include a very dramatic apology line, but will instead rely on a straightforward approach to apologizing.
Examples of Subject Lines in a Professional Apology Email
- Subject: Apology for error in invoice number 12345
- Subject: Acknowledgement of the billing error
- Subject: Sincere apology for any inconvenience caused by the project deal
- Subject: Apology for the oversight in my previous communications
- Subject: Expressing regret over the technical delays faced
Salutations
The greetings in the apology email should reflect the seniority and role of the receiver. For a colleague or a close employee, greetings like “Hey [Name]” or “Hello Mr. [Name]” might be acceptable but for a more formal email, try to use the title and provide a more controlled greeting, such as “Good afternoon Ms. [Name],” “Dear Sir,” or “Greetings Mr. [Name].” The salutations do not require too much energy to plan and keeping it simple is often good enough.
Formal Introduction: How to Apologize in an Email
The introduction section is where the effort to say sorry in a professional email actually gets put into action. A polite beginning after the salutations is always recommended to start the email instead of diving into the apology immediately. While establishing your own strategy on how to apologize in an email, think of how you would do it in person. Remember that you would not enter someone’s office and start apologizing immediately but wait for someone to ask you to sit down and then bring up why you are there—this means a few pleasantries before you discuss the issue.
The introduction to the email depends on your previous experience with the receiver and how familiar you are with them. For a team member or manager, you do not have to introduce yourself over the email as they will know who you are and what the email is regarding. For a customer whom you have not communicated by email with earlier or for a senior member of the company whom you do not interact with regularly, it might be better to include a brief mention of who you are and what you are apologizing for.
Examples of Introduction in a Professional Apology Email
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing this email to discuss what happened with the [Project name] project. I want to extend my sincere apology for the damaged product that was delivered to you on [Date]. We understand that there was a certain quality standard expected from the project and we have fallen short of the mark.
I hope this email finds you in good health. I am [Name], [Work title] at [Company] and I have been overseeing the [Project name] for the last two weeks. I am reaching out to address the delay in delivering the project documents to you and would like to express my regret that we were unable to deliver within the deadline we had established in advance.
Greetings and salutations to you and your team at [Company]. I am the [Work title] at [Company]. I have recently been informed that you have experienced some issues with customer service at our company and I would like to first apologize for the unfortunate experience you’ve had working with us.
Body of the Email—How to Apologize in Email
While you’re figuring out how to say sorry in a professional email, you need to keep two things in mind apart from sincerity—an acknowledgement of the issue and your next course of action. While acknowledging the problem, it is better to be specific rather than beat around the bush saying “Sorry for your struggles” or “My apologies that you had a hard time.” Bring up the incident clearly so they can see that you understand what went wrong. I
It is also best to avoid giving too many reasons or getting into a detailed breakdown, shifting the blame to someone else. If it is absolutely necessary, do make a mention of what the issue was, but focus your energy more on the apology and the solution instead. Discuss how you plan to rectify the issue in the present or what precautions will be taken to avoid a repetition of the problem in the future. If there are ways to make amends for the problem, such as offering a customer a discount or adding that the next round of edits on a project will be made for free, make that clear to the receiver as well.
Examples of The Body of the Professional Apology Email
We understand that the delay in the submission of Project [project name] has held up the next stage of the product launch and for that, we are very sorry. We want you to know that we will take serious measures to expedite the progress of the project so you do not face any more issues. We will shorten the period we had earlier requested for the next edits on the project to one week and ensure that we dedicate all our resources to delivering quality results to you. We have assigned project lead [Name] to the project in addition to the experts who you were already familiar with and she will stay in constant communication with you in regard to the project.
We recognize that the delivery delay on order number [Number] has been an unacceptable show of the 2-day delivery policy and we want you to know that we will ensure that the order-to-delivery pipeline receives an upgrade to ensure this does not happen again. The delivery agents have been cautioned about the importance of timely delivery and handling parcels with care and we have additional training lined up to reiterate the same. We hope to continue being a preferred service for your future needs and as such, I extend my personal availability to oversee your next order from our company.
I wanted to personally apologize for the technical interruptions that prevented the delivery of our project to the client. [Name] is currently working to debug the program and has reached out for help from the [department] team to get it done by the end of the day. Our [work title] [Name] has reached out to the client over call and reset the deadline for the project to Friday. We have a meeting scheduled at 4 pm to discuss the progress on the project and resolve any additional issues we might be facing, so please feel free to join in and we will address any remaining concerns and questions there as a team.
Closing Words in a Professional Apology Email
While apologizing in a professional email, you need to try and keep the email as brief as possible without sounding curt. While the body of the email is reserved for the actual content and communication that needs to be sent across, the closing lines are often a summary of what was said. It can include another final line of apology, along with a mention of your hope for the future.
For a client, your hope is likely to be a continued business relationship with them while for a boss or someone on your team, you might want to just emphasize that your aim is fixed on growth and will not waver. You can also use the closing words to direct the receiver to alternative resources such as the company support page, another team member, a link to replacement products you are offering to them, etc. The real talent of learning how to say sorry in a professional email is being considerate of anything the email receiver could need in lieu of your apology, and providing them with the same. This approach conveys a genuine interest in fixing the problem and finding a solution rather than getting the apology out of the way so you can move on.
Let the receiver be a part of the conversation and open yourself up to the feedback and suggestions they might have. You can mention that in your closing words as well, asking them to clarify how you can be of service to them. Once done, conclude the email with a final show of regard and your name and title as well. Additional details like the company website or phone number can also be mentioned if necessary.
Examples of The Conclusion of the Professional Apology Email
I wanted to reiterate my appreciation for how patient you have remained with us throughout this process, thank you. I hope that you continue to rely on us for your future needs despite the incident as we hope to adopt the changes mentioned above and vastly improve the quality of our services. Please reach out to me directly with any suggestions and feedback you have for our team and I’ll ensure it reaches the right people.
Again, I’d like to express my sincere apologies for the shipping error and the confusion that ensued. We hope the solutions we have provided ease the disappointment until we are able to fully resolve the issue and have the product at your doorstep. Please feel free to call us at [number] in case you have any more issues with the order and we’ll resolve the issue at once.
To avoid such incidents in the future, we have committed fully to the actions that were detailed above and if there is any feedback you would like us to consider, please let me know. Your patience with us has been truly appreciated by the team and please be reassured that we will do what we can to ensure this does not happen again.
How to Apologize in an Email: Apology Email Examples
Now that we know what to do and how it needs to be done, let’s look at some apology email examples and templates to get a better understanding of exactly what needs to be done. Feel free to develop your own templates but remember to customize them to suit each individual situation and receiver. Being genuine is necessary.
Apology Email for Miscommunication
Subject: Our apologies for the miscommunication
Dear [Name],
I hope this email finds you well. I want to express my sincere apologies for the miscommunication that occurred following our last meeting. I understand that the points we took away from the conversation were not as discussed and we will do what we can to rectify it immediately.
Our lead designer [name] can be contacted at [email] and she will personally work with you to get a better sense of the direction for this project and PM [name] will be available at your disposal as before. Additionally, I am also attaching a few images here for what our team was able to gather from previous projects that might be suited to your plan so please feel free to let us know if you’d like any of these details incorporated into your project as well.
I thank you for your patience during what must have been an understandably frustrating time. We hope that these measures will be able to rectify the issue and we’ll ensure such miscommunication never occurs again. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to settle the matter at hand.
Regards,
[Name]
[Designation]
[Company]
Apology Email for a Billing Error
Subject: Expressing regret over the billing error
Dear [Name],
I am [name] for the customer service team and I will be handling the issue that has come up. Thank you for bringing the billing discrepancy to our attention, we sincerely apologize for any confusion or inconvenience that was caused by the error. We have identified the error in your account and can confirm there was a technical glitch during checkout that led to the issue. We want to assure you that corrective measures are being implemented to prevent such errors in the future and we will ensure we get back to you with the final settled bill within 24 hours.
In addition to rectifying the billing issue, we will be providing a [discount/compensation] on your next invoice as a gesture of goodwill. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this matter promptly.
Thanking you,
[Name]
[Designaton]
[Company]
[Website link]
Apology Email Example for a Delay in Project Delivery
Subject: We take full responsibility for the project submission delay
Good morning Mr. [Name],
I hope you are in good health. We recognize the importance of timely project delivery and deeply regret the delay in completing the [Name] project. The delay was caused by [brief explanation], and despite our best efforts to resolve the matter, we found ourselves losing time on getting the systems back up. We understand the impact this may have on [specific details].
We want to assure you that we are taking immediate steps to expedite the project’s completion. Our team is working overtime, and additional resources have been allocated to ensure that we meet the revised deadline of [new deadline]. Our team is in contact with the client and we have worked out a plan together to ensure that stage one of the launch still goes ahead as planned while we build up resources by the second stage.
We understand there will likely be consequences for this drop in our work quality and are ready to face any consequences once the issue is resolved. We will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter until then.
Best wishes,
[Name]
[Designation]
Department]
These are only a few professional apology email examples but once you keep the pointers in mind, you should be well equipped to design your own with ease. Relax, process what you are apologizing for and do it with sincerity and genuineness that will leave the readers convinced about your commitment to the cause.