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Apology email template

A real apology owns the mistake, says what you're doing about it, and stops there. No excuses, no defensiveness. This template gives you that structure so you can fill in the specifics and send.

Subject line

About what happened with [issue], and how we're fixing it

Email body

Hi [first name], I want to apologize for [what went wrong]. That's not the experience we want you to have, and the mistake was ours. What happened: [brief, honest explanation, no excuses]. What we're doing about it: [the concrete fix or next step, with a timeline]. [If relevant: To make up for the trouble, we've [credit / refund / extension].] Thank you for your patience, and for telling us. It helps us get better. If there's anything else I can do, reply and it comes straight to me. Sincerely, [Your name] [Title], [Company]

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When to use this email

  • Your company made a mistake that affected the customer: a billing error, a bug, a missed commitment

  • A customer is owed a genuine apology, not a templated "sorry for any inconvenience"

  • You want to repair the relationship and keep the customer

Tips for making it yours

Apologize in the first sentence. Don't bury it under context

Own it plainly: "the mistake was ours" beats "mistakes were made"

Pair the apology with a concrete fix and a timeline, or it rings hollow

Offer to make it right only if you mean it; an empty gesture reads worse than none

Selvo AI Agent

Stop pasting the same reply over and over

Selvo's AI agent learns your help center and answers questions like this one automatically, citing its sources and handing off to a human when it isn't sure. You keep the templates for the replies that still need you.

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