If you\u2019re in customer service,<\/span> you\u2019re likely to run into angry\/frustrated customers who are facing a difficult time with your product or service. In these situations, <\/span>you should know how to apologize to a customer properly. From<\/span> the tone of your apology <\/span>to how you write an apology statement, it shows the customer that<\/span> you genuinely understand their position and are actively working towards fixing their issue.<\/span><\/p>\n Some customer service teams rely on email <\/span>templates<\/span> for drafting <\/span>apology<\/span> letters. While this makes your agent\u2019s life easier, this scripted approach can backfire <\/span>if it lacks empathy and concern. Not only do you face the risk of letting customers go, but you also run the risk of influencing other prospects if <\/span>negative feedback finds its way to them<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n So, how do you <\/span>apologize without hurting a customer\u2019s feelings? What should you avoid while apologizing to customers? Read this article to learn how to craft a sincere apology when you make a mistake or fail to deliver a good <\/span>customer experience<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s consider a SaaS company that lets businesses embed payment forms on their website. They have partnerships with payment gateways to process online transactions in the backend. However, one of their payment gateways <\/span>faces technical issues and <\/span>stops working all of a sudden.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Immediately, they start receiving <\/span>customer complaints<\/span><\/a>. In an era of social media, upset customers tend to share online reviews about their negative experiences and <\/span>vent their frustration, seeking answers and immediate action.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s the <\/span>apology letter they send out to all affected customers.<\/span><\/p>\n Such an apology may hamper customer relationships because it puts the entire blame on the payment gateway provider. Instead, here\u2019s how their customer support team could improve their apology.<\/span><\/p>\n You can see how the above response addresses the grievance in an empathetic way. It also perfectly illustrates the ingredients required in crafting a to-the-point and well-articulated apology that will reassure customers that their problem is being taken seriously.<\/span><\/p>\n When a customer is explaining their problem to you, ensure you have a complete understanding of what has gone wrong. <\/span>If you have a <\/span>helpdesk<\/span><\/a>, you may want to refer to historical data or ask the right questions to get context before offering help. <\/span>The last thing you\u2019ll want to do is annoy your customers even more by sharing a solution without fully grasping their problem.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are a few more <\/span>phrases<\/span> to connect with your customer and dive deeper into their problem.<\/span><\/p>\n We would also recommend you document this process for future reference, including the customer name, the issue details, the date, the agent handling it, and the time taken for resolution.<\/span><\/p>\n The key to customer success is letting the customers know that you understand how they\u2019re feeling.<\/span> Customers contact support for a wide range of problems. They can be as small as a typo in a help document or as big as a defective product that resulted in a poor user experience. Your customer may have had a rough day due to no direct fault of yours, <\/span>but they\u2019re likely to vent their frustration and anger on the support reps they connect with.<\/span><\/p>\n At that point, you must stay calm, put yourself in the customer\u2019s shoes,<\/span> listen to their problems patiently, and only speak when they are done and expect a response.<\/span> Here\u2019s an incident where an agent had to respond to someone who had reported a delay in their order.<\/span><\/p>\n Some sample phrases that signify empathy would be:<\/span><\/p>\n Your customers will appreciate and respect how calmly you handle the conversation. <\/span>This will result in positive feedback and encourage <\/span>customer loyalty<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n No matter <\/span>how big or small <\/span>the issue is, you must acknowledge the <\/span>inconvenience caused and help customers with an alternative while the original issue is being fixed. Imagine a transaction issue around an item they returned, such as a failed payment gateway that doesn\u2019t allow you to transfer the full refund back to their account. In such cases, you may apologize for the inconvenience and ask them to wait for the issue to get fixed while offering a discount code for their next purchase, or you may offer them a redeemable coupon for the same amount.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s an apology email from an airline offering alternatives to the customer because of a revised flight schedule.<\/span><\/p>\n Some common phrases you can <\/span>use to draft your apology email<\/span> are:<\/span><\/p>\n A sincere apology can help appease an angry customer and reassure them that you value their relationship and are willing to go the extra mile to fix the issue. This helps you win your customer\u2019s trust, reducing churn and improving <\/span>customer satisfaction<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s a tendency<\/span> to reuse existing <\/span>customer service <\/span>apology templates to save time in typing out personalized responses. This can sometimes backfire because when a customer is visibly frustrated with your product\/service, they expect some amount of personalized care or attention to detail. Receiving clich\u00e9d replies that do not answer or address their question directly adds to the negative experience and causes churn.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of a personalized apology email crafted for someone who had reported a delay in receiving their luggage.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some replies that clich\u00e9d templates<\/span> offer for mass apology emails. Refrain from using these for your apology emails.<\/span><\/p>\n You may get overwhelmed with multiple queries, but you can manage your workload and incoming queries using a <\/span>complaint management software<\/span><\/a> to reassure customers. This enables you to focus on customers and craft an apology that effectively answers the customer\u2019s question and sets the right expectations.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s natural for customers to expect quick resolutions to their problems, which can lead to specific questions on ETAs. Here\u2019s how you can handle such questions smartly while placing the customers\u2019 interests first.<\/span><\/p>\n For starters, always specify a time frame or set expectations on when the customers can expect a resolution. But make sure you don\u2019t overpromise and underdeliver. <\/span>Here\u2019s an example of how an agent calmly handled a customer who had been charged twice for an order.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are additional tips that may set you up for success.<\/span><\/p>\n In case of a feature request or something that <\/span>is not on <\/span>your product <\/span>roadmap<\/span>, be honest with customers about the functionality supported. If you have a workaround that can support their workflow, ask the customer to give it a shot.<\/span><\/p>\n You have handled an angry customer. You\u2019ve fixed their problem, apologized for the inconvenience, and managed to retain them. But the cycle does not end there. <\/span>Continue to analyze with your team what went wrong in the first place, so you can minimize the probability of such issues. Also, don\u2019t forget to check in with your customer to see if they are happy with the resolution provided.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some tips about what you can do to follow up with your customer.<\/span><\/p>\n This way, you can turn <\/span>a bad customer experience <\/span>into a loyal product user.<\/span> Here\u2019s an example of a follow-up after resolving an issue.<\/span><\/p>\n A<\/span> business<\/span> is bound to<\/span> make mistakes, but how you deal with hiccups in customer service is what sets your business apart. Here\u2019s all that you need to remember.<\/span><\/p>\n7 tips on how to apologize to a customer<\/b><\/h2>\n
1. Take full responsibility<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"apologize\"](\"https:\/\/blog-assets.freshworks.com\/freshdesk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/inline_shot1.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Customer](\"https:\/\/blog-assets.freshworks.com\/freshdesk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/inline_shot2.png\")
<\/p>\n2. Get a complete context of the problem<\/b><\/h3>\n
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![\"Freshdesk_banner\"](\"https:\/\/blog-assets.freshworks.com\/freshdesk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/02092823\/Angry-1024x273.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n3. Empathize with your customers<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/blog-assets.freshworks.com\/freshdesk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/14130608\/how-to-apologize-to-a-customer-via-email-Ex-1.png\")
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4. Suggest an alternative<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/blog-assets.freshworks.com\/freshdesk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/14130814\/how-to-apologize-to-a-customer-via-email-Ex-2.png\")
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5. Avoid using <\/b>apology<\/b> template<\/b>s<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/blog-assets.freshworks.com\/freshdesk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/14131009\/how-to-apologize-to-a-customer-via-email-Ex-3.png\")
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6. Set the right expectations<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/blog-assets.freshworks.com\/freshdesk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/14131211\/how-to-apologize-to-a-customer-via-email-Ex-4.png\")
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7. Follow up with your customers<\/b><\/h3>\n
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![\"how](\"https:\/\/blog-assets.freshworks.com\/freshdesk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/14131443\/how-to-apologize-to-a-customer-via-email-Ex-5.png\")
<\/p>\nAcknowledge, empathize, and apologize<\/b><\/h4>\n
![\"Customer](\"https:\/\/blog-assets.freshworks.com\/freshdesk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/inline_shot3.png\")
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