Apology Letter Writing Guidance with Examples and Templates

An apology letter is also known as a letter of apology, that is written to apologize for any intended cause, reason or purpose.

We have all messed up in our lives at some point or the other. To own up, it is important to apologize for the right way, whether it is at home or at work. If you want to write a letter to apologize, you have to get it right since you are writing down where you messed up and your response to it.

Why is it so difficult to pen an apology letter?

To be frank, people usually find it hard to own up to their mistakes, because it reflects badly on them. However, it is actually better to own up and apologize, and it is worse to just not apologize at all or to give a half-hearted apology.

Some other reasons that can get you in a situation to write an apology include:

• Making mistakes would mean we are bad people. If you are ashamed about something, that means you have difficulty in understanding the idea that one mistake does not mean you are a bad person.
• People get defensive. If you are ashamed, you do not need to defend your actions. That does not serve as an apology.
• It might lead to other accusations. A lot of people actually think that owning up to one mistake means that people will pin the blame for all other mistakes on them too. Yes, that does happen. But if you do not apologize at all, it can lead to resentment gradually at home or at work.

Pro tip: A well-written apology can make all the difference. Make sure, your apology is free of all punctuation mistakes, misspellings, and grammatical errors and you use to check it by writing your apology letter in google docs and then check its grammar and typo errors via google docs grammar check tool.

You can make a few blunders when offering a verbal apology, but a written apology gives you time to edit and polish up your thoughts perfectly.

So What Makes Up a Good Apology Letter?

It is never too late to say sorry, even though it can be hard to say. Follow the guidelines written below, for both personal or professional apologies, and we can guarantee that you will leave a good impression on all!

• Simply say sorry
• Own up to your mess
• Talk about what went on
• Draft a plan
• Admit your fault
• Ask to be forgiven

Explanation of above mentioned six points is given below:

• Simply say it: There is no need to beat about the bush, just say, “I’m sorry.”
• Own up to your mess: You need to tell the other person that you are mature enough to acknowledge what went wrong.
• Talk about what went on: This will show that you get where you were wrong and why it might hurt them. Talk about your own role, instead of blaming other things or people.
• Draft a plan: Tell the other person how you want to make up for your mistake.
• Admit your fault: This will not make you the bad guy. Instead, it will show that you are the bigger ones in the relationship.
• Ask to be forgiven: Let them know that you truly do mean your apology.

That is all you need to do. There is no need to act defensive or blame someone else or minimize the situation. Let’s look at a few examples of apology letters, so you can get an idea of how to draft yours.

Examples of Apology Letters

Keep a few things in mind when you are drafting your letter. It should be concise and brief, and there is no need to go on and on about the situation. Similarly, there is no need to present an exaggerated story either. Your language should be professional, respectful, and sincere.

#1 EXAMPLE:

Third-Party Apology Letter

Third-party apologies will come in handy at work situations when you have to apologize on the behalf of someone else. For example, you might have to apologize on a server’s behalf to a customer. You should sound like you assume responsibility of the situation, and also do not dump the blame on your employee, since that does not reflect well on your leadership.

Dear Ms. James,

I am writing to you on behalf of a sales associate at XYZ Furnishings, John. We understand that you had a difficult experience at our showroom, with our employee extending a few unprofessional remarks during your visit. You were there for a new furniture set, yet you had to endure a difficult conversation.

At XYZ, we prioritize our clients and want to ensure that they have the best possible experience without tricky sales tactics. John is a recent hire at our showroom, and he is still under training. As his supervisor, I hold myself responsible for the exchange that took place. We have already reprimanded him in writing, and we will make sure that he is put on the floor only after he is properly trained.

I thank you for raising this concern and I hope that you can forgive us. We would love to welcome you back for your business. Please accept a 20 percent discount voucher that you can use towards any future purchase at XYZ, and we hope that you will be back again soon.

Best regards,
Julian Shore, Furniture Sales Manager.

#2 EXAMPLE:

Personal Letters of Apology

As humans, we all make mistakes and, sooner or later, end up hurting someone. Instead of making up excuses for our behavior, we can write a simple note of apology showing that we are going to make sure that we don’t make the same mistake again.

Let’s look at an example of a personal letter of an apology below:

Dear Anna,

Please accept my apology for not showing up on time at the airport to get you. I should not have made you wait and caused you any worry.

I do not like people thinking that they cannot rely on me. Rest assured that I will set up a calendar alert for next time so that I can leave my house well in advance and be there before the guest reaches.

I hope you can forgive me, and that you will ask me to pick you up again. I am happy to help you.

Best wishes,
Laura.

#3 EXAMPLE:

Mass Apology Notes

Have you ever messed something up in front of a bunch of people? You can soften this blow by just sending out a proper apology note.

Of course, make sure that it sounds like a genuine apology. Instead of saying, “I hope you weren’t offended”, you can say, “I hope my actions/words did not cause any offense.”

Let’s look at an example of the Mass Apology Notes:

Hi everyone,

I’m sending everyone a quick note to apologize for my action the other day. I didn’t put a lot of thought into my Halloween costume for the annual bash, and I didn’t realize that it could cause offense to some people.

Of course, that was not my intention at all. But I should have thought this through properly. I’ll make sure that the same thing does not happen again, and I will keep my humor in check so that I do not cause offense to anyone!

Once again, I hope that I did not make anyone uncomfortable. If I did, I hope you can forgive me. I have placed a box of cupcakes in the kitchen area for all of you as a peace offering.

Best,
Sean.