What is the best way to write an apology to a customer, especially if you’re handling complaints for a corporation. Some tips: be sincere, and make sure your wording makes clear that you understand the consumer’s complaint and that your company takes responsibility for the mistake and wants to make things right. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Writing Customer Apologies”
Hi, you have A Way with Words.
Hello.
Hello, who’s this?
This is Lindsay.
Hi, Lindsay, where are you calling from?
I’m calling from Dallas, Texas.
Excellent. Well, what can we help you with?
Well, I have a grammar question.
My job is to write letters to people who experience unusual situations when they travel with us. I work for an airline. And so I have, obviously, coworkers who do the same thing. And we edit each other’s work or look over each other’s letters for tone, grammar, that kind of thing.
And one of my colleagues, her favorite thing to do is start a sentence with the word realizing. And I can’t explain why it doesn’t make sense to me, but it just doesn’t. I just don’t think it sounds right.
So like an example would be realizing this was an unexpected situation. I’m sorry for any concerns you may have had at the time.
And what would you propose in its place?
Well, the problem to me in that sense is that I don’t know who’s responsible for the action of realizing.
Exactly. I don’t know who’s doing the realizing. Like, is it us? Is it them? Who is it?
So I think that you have to have a subject either, because in my mind, that sentence, the subject is implied. When you start a sentence without a subject, it’s like, okay, well, it has to be implied. And when it’s implied, the subject is usually you. But it’s not clear here.
So I think you need to say, I realized that this was an unexpected situation, and I’m sorry for any concerns you may have had at the time.
Well, grammatically, this participial phrase goes with the I. Realizing, what was it? Realizing you may have questions. I. So the realizing is connected with the I. But there’s something about an apology and distancing that realizing from the I that’s bothering me.
I think if you said, I realize that you may have questions, that’s owning it more. I mean, it’s a tone thing, though. It’s not grammar.
Right. So it’s not only about her, but she’s also removing responsibility for what she’s about to say.
Yes. I would argue that it’s not elegant. And if you are writing letters to customers, whether you’re thanking them for their compliments or you’re apologizing for your own mistakes, it needs elegance. It needs to be a little beautiful. And she might as well be writing a user manual.
Yeah, it feels a little evasive to me. You know, I mean, if it’s going to be an apology, there’s a whole art to writing apologies.
So, Lindsay, your version of that would be what again?
My version of that would be, I realize that disruptions are disappointing and hope you will accept my sincere apologies for the subsequent inconvenience to your blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, something like that.
But I think there’s something about, and maybe that’s it. Maybe, because like I told you, I know it’s wrong, but I can’t put my finger on why. And perhaps that’s it. It’s because the realizing just comes out of nowhere. And so without knowing who owns it, it’s hard to interpret that sentence as being sincere.
Exactly. I think you’ve said it very well. And I’m interested, they tell you to say I rather than we, like we the company?
Well, yeah, because in the particular area that I work in, well, and for the company that I work for, we truly believe that, you know, there’s nothing wrong with apologizing when something went wrong. And taking ownership of it on a personal level gives the customer, well, it just, I think it makes the customer feel better. At least that’s our opinion.
And also when there’s a specific name and a phone number on that letter, they can call you and let you know if they have follow-up concerns.
Right, a real person.
A real person. They know that when they call, you’re going to answer the phone. It’s not going to be a menu or something like that.
I love it, and I agree. I think that’s a great philosophy that every business on the planet should adhere to.
Yeah.
Good. I would say feel empowered to help her. Go to her with your best manner and try to help her come up with some new crutches, some new phrases that are a little more personal.
All right, Lindsay? And email us. Let us know how it goes, okay?
Okay, will do.
Thank you.
Thanks, Lizzie.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
