Sending an apology email allows you and everyone else to move on after an error and make amends. To do this you might need to send an apology email to a manager, coworker, or directly to a customer. In my own work career, I’ve had to directly apologize to customers who were served cold food or were provided sub-par customer service.  

The fact is every person and organization makes mistakes. Identifying the error, knowing how to apologize, and explaining how you’ll fix the problem moving forward is a skill you need. Of course, this may sound so simple, but finding the correct words to say is easier said than done.

Most likely, you came to our article to find a guide on how to apologize in an email, from creating subject lines down to the letter’s actual content. Well, fret not because this post will include samples of apology email subject lines, email content samples, and explanations of why it’s necessary to write an apology email in the workplace. Pick the example that applies to your situation best, hit send, and watch your work relationships improve.

Apology Email Subject Lines

The subject line is frequently the first thing a person will see when they receive an email. The subject line sets the message for the content of email as well. 

• Thank You For Being Patient; We Are Sorry!
• We’re Sorry For The Inconvenience.
• Confused About My Last Email? Let Me Explain.
• We Apologize And Appreciate Your Patience.
• I’ll Make It Up To You.
• Sorry About That!
• Sincerest Apologies!
• Apology For The Mistake On My/Our End.
• We Are Incredibly Sorry.
• What Just Happened (and how I’m going to make up for it)
• I Am/We Are Sincerely Sorry.
• We Are Working On It.
• I Apologize!
• I/We Messed Up. 
• We Will Do Better Next Time. 
• Apology And Explanation Letter | *Subject Of The Issue*

Apology Email Subject Lines to Manager

Here are a few examples of subject lines you could use in an email of apology to your manager or boss.

• Please Accept Our/My Apologies.
• We Appreciate Your Patience As We Correct Our Error.
• Oh Sorry! The Email We Intended To Send Is Attached.
• We Made A Mistake. Allow Us To Make It Right.
• My Team And I Both Committed Mistakes.
• Let’s Try This Again…
• We Erred In Judgment. Let Us Make It Up To You.
• Sorry, We Caused Some Trouble.
• I Am So Sorry About That.
• We Apologize For The Delay.
• We Appreciate Your Patience.

Apology Email Subject Lines to Client

An effective apology email subject line clarifies the email’s purpose and entices the recipient or the client to open it. It should expressly refer to making a mistake or, at the very least, imply it. Here are some sample subject lines for emails you might send to your clients to apologize and say you’re sorry. 

• About Your Recent Experience With [Insert your company name]
• About Your [Package/Shipping/Appointment]
• Regarding Your [insert product] Issue
• We Apologize For The Inconvenience.
• An Apology From [Insert business name]
• Concerning Your [insert service] Issue
• Sorry To Keep You Waiting.
• Please Accept Our Apologies.
• We’re Sorry For The Wait.
• Please Let Us Know How We Can Fix This.
• We’re Sorry For Your Recent Experience.
• We Are Working On It.
• We Will Make It Up To You.
• We Want To Make Up For Having Let You Down.
• We Value Your Opinion, And We’ll Make Up For It.

Apology Email Subject Lines to Customer

How to say sorry over email.

You may need to write an apology email to your customer if they received unsatisfactory or malfunctioning products, experienced a website crash, had a billing problem, or dealt with an unfriendly service representative. Whatever the reason, an honest and sympathetic apology shows that your company cares about them and will make things right. 

• Let Us Know How We Can Make This Right
• An Apology From [Insert business name]
• We Are Sorry!
• I Made A Mistake/My Team Made A Mistake
• We’re Extremely Sorry For The Inconvenience.
• About The Last Email We Sent
• We Were Wrong. Here’s What Happened.

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• Let Us Know How It Can Be Fixed
• We’re Working On It.
• We’ve Let You Down, And We Want To Make Amends.
• We Appreciate Your Feedback.
• We Are Sorry To Hear About Your Experience.
• *Company Name* Promises To Give You Better Experience
• Our Apologies & Please Accet Our Complimentary Gift

Apology Email Samples for Mistake

Example 1: Apology email for a mistake at work (in general)

Dear [recipient],

Please accept my sincerest apology for [insert in-depth explanation of the situation]. Since I started working here, everyone around me has been nothing but kind and encouraging. Therefore I would never purposefully jeopardize the business or them.

I take full responsibility for what I did and am aware that my actions fell short of what you and this organization expect of their employees. I sincerely hope there is anything I can do to make things right and earn your trust.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

[Signature of Sender]

Example 2: Apology email for sending an unfinished email to the client

Dear [client’s name],

I am writing this to apologize for sending you an incomplete email. I unintentionally pressed the send button before even finishing it.

The last email’s missing content ought to be [insert the missing content of the previous email]. [You can also inform them that you have included the missing attachment in this email].

I sincerely apologize for making such a careless mistake. I sincerely hope it does not cause you much trouble or have an impact on your shopping. We promise that this won’t happen once more in the future.

Have a pleasant day and thank you for your patience.

Best regards,

[Signature of Sender]

Example 3: Apology email for sending the wrong email

Dear [recipient’s name],

You might have noticed that we accidentally sent you an email that was supposed to be sent to another address. We acknowledge that what we did was incredibly unprofessional. We sincerely apologize for our error and any inconvenience it may have caused you.

Since the content in it was private between another customer of ours and us, we hope you will assist us in removing the missent email from your mailbox.

Please accept our sincere apologies once more, and we really hope that this situation did not negatively impact your shopping experience. We promise that this will never happen again in the future.

Thank you for your understanding, and have a nice day.

Best regards,

[Signature of Sender]

Apology Email Samples to Manager

It’s important to own up to honest mistakes in the workplace.

Example 1: Apology email for not coming to work

Dear [recipient’s name],

I sincerely apologize for being absent from work on [Insert date of absence]. To skip work without giving any advance warning is quite unprofessional. I am aware that before taking a leave of absence, management or colleagues must be notified. 

I take full responsibility for this and commit to never let it happen again. I will make sure that I will communicate about any such situation via call or email the next time.

Sincerely,

[Signature of Sender]

Example 2: Apology email to boss/manager for poor performance

Dear [recipient’s name],

I’d like to personally apologize to you for my recent bad performance. Recently, I’ve consistently been late for work and haven’t given my best effort. I sincerely apologize for this and appreciate your patience with me.

I am aware that I am totally accountable for this situation, which I am aware I caused. I swear to you that this won’t happen again, that I’ve taken the necessary precautions to make sure it doesn’t, and that I will only perform my best job going forward.

Best regards,

[Signature of Sender]

Example 3: Apology email to boss/manager for making errors at work

Dear [recipient’s name],

I would like to apologize and express my regret for my recent mistakes. However, I take great pleasure in my work and responsibilities and am conscious of how this reflects poorly on both the firm and me.

I want to let you know that I am committed to improving my performance and that I am determined not to make the same mistakes twice. I personally want to thank you for your patience, and I pledge to repay you back in the future.

Best regards,

[Signature of Sender]

Apology Email Samples to Customer

Example 1: Apology email to customers for a mistake

Dear [client’s name],

We would like to express our sincere apologies for [state problem]. We consistently strive to give you the finest service we can, but this time we didn’t quite succeed.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have given you. At the same time, we want to reassure you that every measure is being taken to address this problem from the ground up and prevent anything similar from happening in the future.

We are aware of what happened and will be more cautious going forward. As an additional apology, anyone who has been affected by this is welcome to [explain offering].

We sincerely appreciate your patience in this matter, so please accept our gratitude. We’ll make sure to take what we can from this experience and grow.

Always in your service,

[Signature of Sender]

Example 2: Apology email to a customer for poor quality products/service

Dear [client’s name],

We would want to start by expressing our sincere apologies for the poor product/service you received at [company name]. We are aware that we didn’t meet your expectations and that this might have left you feeling dissatisfied. 

Rest assured that as a result of your experience, everyone at the organization is making changes to ensure that this never occurs again. We look forward to keeping in touch with you and hope to hear from you soon.

Always in your service,

[Signature of Sender]

Example 3: Apology email to a customer for a delayed order

Dear [client’s name],

I want to sincerely apologize for the delay in processing your order. Unfortunately, your order had to be delayed because of unforeseen circumstances. We acknowledge the inconvenience that this delay may have done to your operations and assure you that it won’t happen again.

You are an important customer to us, and we appreciate your continued trust in us. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions.

Always in your service,

[Signature of Sender]

Apology Email Sample for Miscommunication

Miscommunications happen.

Example 1: Apology email to a client/customer for miscommunication

Dear [client’s name],

Through this letter, I would want to express my apologies for the miscommunication I/we may have created that caused confusion and misunderstanding. [insert in-depth explanation of the situation]

I/we are unable to defend our actions and lack an adequate justification. However, I/we sincerely apologize and wish to express our regret. We haven’t had a situation like this in my five years with the organization, so I sincerely hope you’ll forgive us this time. I/we guarantee that such an error won’t be made again.

Always in your service,

[Signature of Sender]

Example 2: Apology email for making typos

Dear [recipient’s name],

We’ve only just discovered that the last email may have confused you due to a typo we made. What we wanted to convey in that email was [what the correct sentence would be if there were no errors].

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We deeply regret making such a careless error and sincerely hope it does not trouble you too much or have a negative impact on your shopping experience.

Thank you for your patience. Once again, we are sorry for causing you such inconvenience.

Best regards,

[Signature of Sender]

Example 3: Apology email for giving incorrect information

Dear [recipient’s name],

We sincerely apologize for putting the incorrect information [insert details] in the previous email. We actually meant to send this instead [insert correct information].

We sincerely apologize for the error and truly hope that it did not create any confusion or difficulty. We promise that this will never happen again in the future. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to receiving your response about the [issues you are addressing].

Best regards,

[Signature of Sender]

Why is it important to write an apology email in the workplace?

Eventually, you’ll need to apologize for something that happened in the workplace. Whether you’re in employed at a restaurant, on a food truck, or a big corporate office this is a skill that will be actually be beneficial to master. 

Whatever the reason may be, it is important to apologize for your conduct to show awareness of the issue and efforts to make it right. Below, I share a few more reasons why writing an apology email at work is so important.

• Apologizing improves communication. Communication is more likely to improve in the workplace when you are able to apologize to others. All parties can converse more freely and have a greater understanding of one another in times when there are issues. When you say sorry, it brings everyone else’s guard down so you can begin to speak candidly. 

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• An apology could relieve tension in the workplace. Apologizing may help you feel better if you’re stressed because you know you’ve upset someone. This can help you move past a mistake or incident, particularly if your coworker or manager accepts the honest apology. 
• A sincere apology can rebuild trust. Certain behaviors can cause coworkers to lose faith in one another, but your apology can actually restore that trust. Colleagues who trust one another tend to be more creative, innovative, team-oriented, and cooperative, which helps the workplace as a whole.

Nobody is perfect, but it takes a reputable company or employee to acknowledge their mistakes and improve. I hope you take advantage of this second chance to build stronger relationships in the workplace.