Apology Letters

Wish you had not said or done something? Smooth things over with a carefully worded apology letter.

Struggling to find the right words? Get 81 ready-to-use apology letters to help you find the perfect words to say, plus must-know tips & steps recommended by professionals.

Use our award-winning letter-writing software to write apology letters for business, sales and personal situations.

How to write a business apology letter

1. Type this apology letter on your computer using a serif font such as Times Roman or Georgia and print it on good quality, bright-white inkjet paper.

2. Use a formal business letter format such as full block or semi-block.

3. Offer your apology in the beginning of the letter and clearly state the problem: “Please accept my apology for being unable to give you a definitive answer at this time. . . . ” or “We apologize for whatever inconvenience this may cause you, but. . . .”

4. Give some explanation for what happened: “Our committee has not yet completed its investigation into. . . . ” or “In order to err on the side of caution, this toy has been recalled by the manufacturer. . . .”

5. Focus on what actions you are taking to rectify the problem: “We are happy to offer you a full refund. . . . ” or “We will be happy to notify you as soon as we receive the information you requested. . . . ”

6. Hand-sign the apology letter with a black pen.

7. Remember: Say you are sorry as soon as wisdom dictates! You will find that an apology letter will not only help save your friendships and your business associates, it can also dissolve a small problem and keep it from snowballing into a big one!

How to write a personal apology letter

1. Write this apology letter carefully on a piece of stationery; don't type it on a computer.

2. Express your apology in the beginning of your letter: “I am so sorry. . . .” or “I want to apologize. . . .”

3. State exactly what you did wrong early in the apology letter: “I shouldn't have lost my temper when. . . . ” or “I have looked all over, but I'm afraid I have lost your book. . . .”

4. Accept responsibility for what you did and don't blame the other person: “I accept full responsibility for what happened. . . .” or “I know this was completely my fault. . . .”

5. Promise in your apology letter not to repeat your offensive action and ask the injured party to give you an opportunity to prove this to them.

6. Suggest that the two of you get together at a restaurant or some other non-threatening place so that you can apologize in person and begin to rebuild your relationship.

Why an apology letter is so important:

• Writing an apology letter shortly after the offense can usually help save a relationship before a wound becomes a scar and the damage becomes irreparable.

• You can usually find forgiveness and understanding if you freely acknowledge what you did wrong and express sincere regret in your apology letter.

• Depending on the situation, if you offer the injured party the appropriate material restitution for whatever loss they incurred because of you, this will also help to repair your relationship.

• You can help to rebuild your credulity in your apology letter if you promise not to repeat the offense and assure the injured party that they will see a definite change in your behavior.

• You can use your apology letter to assure the injured party that you truly value their friendship and do not want to lose it.

• Just writing an apology letter shows the injured party that you realize you were wrong and that you value the relationship.

• You may find that if you freely apologize and accept responsibility for what you did, the injured party may also accept some responsibility for the problem and apologize to you in return.

NOTE: Be careful! Use wisdom in deciding when to write your personal apology letter. What does your experience with the injured party tell you? Should you write the apology letter immediately or should you wait and give him/her a brief cooling-off period?

Need the right words for your apology letter?
	Write this letter with Easy Letters 2,200+ customizable sample letters Must-know letter-writing tips Step-by-step guides to create letters from scratch Effective phrases and sentences Words writers agree work the best #1 selling letter-writing software “It's all simple to use...a well-thought-out and effective tool...we like it a lot.” PC Guide Magazine

Apology Letter Topics

Get a variety of apology letters for each of these topics:

Business/Work

• Apologize for a defective, damaged, or incomplete product

• Apologize for a late payment

• Apologize for a missed deadline

• Apologize for a shipping delay or error

• Apologize for an invoice or billing error

• Apologize for betrayed trust

• Apologize for damaged property

• Apologize for hurt feelings

• Apologize for missing an appointment

• Apologize for missing an event or for overlooking or forgetting someone

• Apologize for missing or being late to a meeting or appointment

• Apologize for offensive behavior

• Apologize for poor or inadequate service

• Apologize for providing incorrect or incomplete information

• Apologize for sending a collection letter by mistake

• Apologize for someone else (business)

• Apologize for someone else (personal)

• Apologize to an employee or employees

• Write a business apology

• Write a personal apology

Related Apology-Letter Topics:

• Announce a layoff

• Announce an office or store closing to employees

• Announce bad news to employees

• Cancel or decline to schedule an appointment

• Cancel or postpone an appointment

• Cancel or postpone an invitation

• Correct your own error in a transaction

• Deny an expected or hoped-for promotion or raise

• Dismiss an employee for reasons beyond the employee's control

• Explain an error you have made

• Inform customers of a misprint

• Reject or terminate a business relationship

• Respond to a complaint while admitting fault and making an adjustment

Writing an apology letter is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Choose from a variety of prewritten apology letters --Easy Letters has ready-to-use apology letters that cover 33 common situations. Copy letters directly into Microsoft Word or your favorite word processor.

2. Or, let our software guide you step-by-step through the apology letter-writing process, suggesting sample sentences and phrases during each writing step. In minutes, you can write an effective apology letter.

3. Print your apology letter and send it!