letter of apology

letter of apology

past simple and past perfect

START

INDEX

apologizing

more tips

poor customer treatment

listening

dos and don'ts

avoid non apology

if,,,

billing issues

tenses

tips

exersices

cancelling event

thanks

SECTION 1

Apologizing for Poor Customer Treatment

Did your customer lose an hour of their day being transferred from representative to representative to solve a seemingly simple issue? Is your customer upset after an experience with a rude and unhelpful employee or manager? Strategic management consulting company, McKinsey, reported that 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated. No matter who is in the “right” in a complicated situation, it is important to give the customer a sincere apology. Let’s compare two examples of an apology letter to a customer who feels that he or she has been treated unfairly:

Apologizing for Poor Customer Treatment

SECTION 1

Strategic management consulting company, McKinsey, reported that 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated. No matter who is in the “right” in a complicated situation, it is important to give the customer a sincere apology. Let’s compare two examples of an apology letter to a customer who feels that he or she has been treated unfairly:

In this example, Ashley was very vague when approaching the customer’s issue. Instead of empathizing with Catherine, she tried to shift the blame to the customer’s phone service provider, and deny the company’s role in Catherine’s bad experience. In the end, Ashley left the issue unresolved, and the customer unsatisfied. Let’s have a look at what happens when we try that again:

Do: Say sorry and express sincere regret. Be specific about what happened. Validate and relate to the customer’s feelings. Show what steps your company will take to make sure the inconvenience won’t happen again. Give your customer your contact information for extra measure.

Don’t: Be vague. Make excuses or shift blame. Leave the issue unresolved.

Apologizing for Billing Issues

section 2

Good Example: Dear Megan, Thank you for contacting customer support. We are very sorry that you were charged twice for the same product. We understand that the mistake was on our end, and it is not a mistake that we take lightly. According to our technical team, the error was due to a computer glitch in our automated billing system. As a result of this issue, and in order to prevent this from happening in the future, new updates are being made to the system. In the meantime, we have refunded you the full amount of one of the charges, or $49.99 plus tax. Please allow 1-3 business days for the amount to appear back on your card. We hope that this will be sufficient to correct the error and address any inconvenience this may have caused you. Thank you for bringing this to our attention—it will help us improve our operations and services. We very much appreciate your business. If there are any other issues that need to be addressed, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, Katie F. Customer Service Representative

Bad Example: Dear Megan, Thank you for contacting customer support. I am very sorry that you were charged twice for your purchase – I have no idea why that might have happened as it is not a common occurrence at our company. Regardless, please provide me with your credit card information so that I can complete the refund. Thanks, Katie F. Customer Service Representative

tips

section 2

Don’t: Renounce connection to or responsibility for what happened. Ask your customer for information that you don’t need. Ask the customer to send you sensitive information online.

Do: If possible, explain the reason for the billing error. Provide the customer an immediate refund if double charged.

Apologizing for Canceling a Service or Event

section 3

Good Example: Dear Alexander, I am very sorry to inform you that our workshop, “Practicing Positivity: The Art of a Happy Work Environment,” has been cancelled due to the hurricane that is set to land this Friday. Because of the unsafe weather conditions, we will not be able to proceed with the event as scheduled. I am sorry for any inconvenience that this cancelation may cause. The safety of our guests and speakers is our number one concern. We are hoping to be able to reschedule this workshop for a later date, and will send you an email as soon as we have worked out the details regarding this change. For now, we are issuing refunds to all our guests who were planning on attending this event. You should see the total value of your purchase returned to your bank account in 1-3 business days. We want to thank you very much for showing interest in our event—your purchase helps us plan future workshops and events. Please click here to see our schedule of upcoming workshops this month. Sincerely, Brian C. Event Manager

Bad Example: Dear customer, Unfortunately, the workshop that you were planning on attending was cancelled. We are very sorry for any inconvenience that this might cause. We do our best to always deliver our workshops as scheduled. However sometimes things don’t go as planned. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this cancellation and we would be happy to assist you. Sincerely, Brian C. Event Manager

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Don’t: Keep the reason for the cancelation from the customer. Leave your customer unclear as to when and how they will be reimbursed.

tips

section 3

Do: Show your customer that they are a vital part of your company’s success. Reimburse your customer immediately. Let your customer know if and when the event can be rescheduled. Offer your customer other options.

listen to the dialogue

what are the customers complaining about?

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Avoid the Non-Apology

There are a number of names to communicate the same thing – an insincere and grating apology. You may, unfortunately, recognize the non-apology as a popular business apology. It’s important to be able to realize what kind of language actually conveys regret, remorse, and humility, and which words twist a would-be apology into one of dismissal and condescension. Don’t use language that removes you or your company from responsibility. Avoid saying things like:

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Past simple, past contininuous present perfect

1. travel 2. prepare/wash 3. have 4. have/ring 5. do/wait 6. finish/walk/find 7. see 8. read 9. arrive/check 10. receive 11. be to 12. have/start 13. grow 14. not finish 15. wait/get off 16. be/live 17. not like/complain 18. add/poor/add 19. visited 20. study 21. be to 22. break 23. be 24. not stay 25. have 26. come 27. work 2 8. talk 29. play/be 30. work 31. pay

exersices

Fill in the correct form of the verb:

1. Last year, I __________ to Japan. 2. While she ________ dinner, he ________ the dishes. 3. ______ you _______ dinner last night? 4. When I _______ breakfast, the phone suddenly ____. 5. What ______ you _____ while you ________? 6. I ______ work, ______ to the beach, and _____ a nice place to swim. 7. ______ you ______ that movie many times? 8. ______ you _______ the book yet? 9. He _______ from the airport at 8:00, _______ into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00. 10. I ______ three messages two minutes ago.

past simple, past contininuous present perfect

1. travel 2. prepare/wash 3. have 4. have/ring 5. do/wait 6. finish/walk/find 7. see 8. read 9. arrive/check 10. receive 11. be to 12. have/start 13. grow 14. not finish 15. wait/get off 16. be/live 17. not like/complain 18. add/poor/add 19. visited 20. study 21. be to 22. break 23. be 24. not stay 25. have 26. come 27. work 2 8. talk 29. play/be 30. work 31. pay

exersices

Fill in the correct form of the verb:

11. I _______ to France three times. 12. While we _______ the picnic, it _______ to rain. 13. You _______ since the last time I saw you. 14. James ____________ his homework yet. 15. Sammy _______ for us when we ______ the plane. 16. When I _________ young I ________ in Spain. 17. I ______ them because they ____ always ________. 18. _____ you _____ flour, _____ in the milk, and then ______ the eggs? 19. Many tourists ________ that castle. 20. Peter _______ Japanese for five years. 21. ______ you ______ to Mexico in the last year?

past simple, past contininuous present perfect

1. travel 2. prepare/wash 3. have 4. have/ring 5. do/wait 6. finish/walk/find 7. see 8. read 9. arrive/check 10. receive 11. be to 12. have/start 13. grow 14. not finish 15. wait/get off 16. be/live 17. not like/complain 18. add/poor/add 19. visited 20. study 21. be to 22. break 23. be 24. not stay 25. have 26. come 27. work 2 8. talk 29. play/be 30. work 31. pay

exersices

Fill in the correct form of the verb:

22. My car _________ down three times this week. 23. She ________ in England for six months. 24. They ___________ at the party the entire time. 25. They _________ three tests in the last week. 26. She _______ always ________ to class late. 27. She graduated from university less than three years ago. She _______ for three different companies so far. 28. We ________ on the phone for thirty minutes. 29. ______ you ______ a musical instrument when you _______ a kid? 30. She ________ at the movie theater after school. 31. People ______ much more to make cell phone calls in the past.

Thanks!