Apology Letters
A letter of apology,or apology letter,is primarily written to try to salvage a relationship after the writer and/or their organization has made a mistake,or otherwise offended another party.Everyone makes mistakes.In the business world, losing a customer can be extremely costly.If you make a mistake,a business apology letter is crucial.Letters should generally be written from the perspective of the customer.Business apology letters should be written in a way that encourages them to forgive the mistake.
3.1 How to Write a Letter of Apology
When you have a conflict with a person,a letter of apology can be effective in setting things right.Apologizing by letter permits the other person to accept your apology,without argument or waffling.It also eliminates your desire to want to retract part of it or argue over the history of the incident.At the same time,do not turn to letters simply to distance yourself from a difficult situation or protect yourself from a situation that may become confrontational.The advantage of letter writing is that you can take your time composing your thoughts,and the recipient can similarly take her time considering your message and deciding how to respond.
When writing an apology letter,pretend you're the customer and imagine what he or she went through will ensure the right tone.Do not make excuses and take full responsibility for the mistake.Offer the customer something（either in cash or in kind)to make up for this mistake and to accommodate what he or she experienced.It is important that letters of apology“ring true”with sincerity,or they will not be taken seriously by the recipient and will therefore fail.
3.2 Samples of Apology Letters
This is a sample letter apologizing for cancelled event.
January 12，2014
From:
Mr.P.Subramanian，
Chairman，
Social Committee，
Drapon International Marketing Firm，
2345-Jalan Angkasa，
2919/QU:Lee Mart，
Kuala Lumpur.
To:Mr.Nagaraj，
125,Jalan Ah Meng，
251799-Kuala Lumpur.
Dear Sir，
On behalf of the Organizing Committee,I wish to apologize for the cancellation of the Outdoor Barbecue Dinner last Saturday 5 May，2014.
I know many of you brought your friends and family to the occasion and we had to cancel the function at the last minute.We had never anticipated that it would rain the whole of the last Saturday after having fine weather for a couple of weeks.It was our fault for not arranging to have temporary shelters erected in case of rain.Anyhow we have learned our lessons and will be more prepared in future.
As for the uneaten food,the General Manager says that you can have it.The meat and other delicious items are kept in freezer at the canteen.We can have on“First come first served”basis but no rushing please.
Yours sincerely，
（Signature of Subramanian)
Subramanian