GUIDELINES
- It's better to write an apology letter soon after a big mistake. If you can't take full responsibility, then you should not apologize. Don't put the blame on anyone else's shoulders, including your reader. You can win back the trust of a concerned customer by apologizing to him/her.
- Start your letter straight away with your apology.
- Explain what happened but don't excuse. Be brief at this point.
- Then tell about the actions you have taken (or you will take) to make things right.
- Tell the reader about your concern. At the same time, your letter should end with a positive statement.
SAMPLE LETTER
[Address line]
[State, ZIP Code]
[Letter Date]
[Address line]
[State, ZIP Code]
[Subject: Normally bold, summarizes the intention of the letter] -Optional-
Dear [Recipients Name],
We thank you for informing that you did not receive the glasses from our side. I am sorry for the total delay. Since there was a strike, we were not able to get the cartons from the supplier. We did try and ship all the glasses by fast courier on Sunday; you must receive it when you get this letter. We are sorry about the incident and would keep back-up supplied from the next time. We appreciate your continued patronage.
Sincerely,
[Senders Name]
[Senders Title] -Optional-
[Enclosures: number] - Optional -
cc: [Name of copy recipient] - Optional -
Sample apology letter about a shipping delay.
Further things to consider when writing apology letters to business partners
Apology Letters
Apology letters are letters written to express regret towards a past occurrence or action. Simply put, apology letters are a way of putting down in words how you feel about a negative action and trying to make a positive impact on it. A great apology letter can repair your reputation and strengthen your connections. It might be that you have wronged a client or a customer, a professional situation in the workplace has not turned out as you expected, or you have done something terrible to your friend. You want to say sorry about these situations and salvage your relationship, so an apology letter is the greatest way to do this.
Apology letters should be written and sent immediately after the mistake has happened to show that you truly value your relationship with the other person. Begin the letter by stating how sorry you are, admit that you made a mistake, and take responsibility. Try to solve the issue and give suggestions on how you are going to do this. Assure the other party that the incident will not happen again in the future. Apologize again to the end and close the letter with a positive note.
Letters to Business Partners
Letters to business partners are letters you write to people with whom you have some degree of involvement with their business dealings. A business partnership is a legal relationship formed when two or more people agree to run a business together are co-owners. When you make such a partnership, you need to write a letter to your business partners to convey your message clearly and strongly, and to keep a legal record of the partnership. The letter should be formal and must contain the partnership offer, names of all the business partners, and the terms and conditions of the partnership.
Letters to business partners should be written with a professional tone. They should conform to all the accepted business letters standards. State the purpose of the letter. Give all the necessary details regarding the partnership as outlined in the contract. Include the name and title of the recipient. Employ the appropriate formal salutations and closings. State the date clearly and mention any document that is enclosed with the letter. Close the letter on a positive note and sign it off with your name and title. Letters to business partners should be printed on the company's letterhead.
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