How to apologize for poor service

“We take pride in our high standards of service and we know that we did not meet your – or our own – expectations.”

See also:

  • 😡 How to talk to an angry customer or client
  • How to apologize for a damaged product
  • 🔔 How to follow up with a customer who gave you a low survey score or bad review

Start Here

  • Start with 😡 How to talk to an angry customer or client
  • If speaking with the customer on the phone, let them express their feelings/frustration first. Listen and acknowledge their concerns, then share how you plan on fixing it.

Talking Points

  • Dear <Name>, I’m sorry to hear that you had a poor experience with us recently.
  • We take pride in our high standards of service and we know that we did not meet your– or our own– expectations.
  • We understand how frustrating this can be and we want to make it right. Because we want to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again, we’ve <provide high-level detail to show that you’ve taken steps to safeguard their future experiences>.
    • Examples:
      • We’ve launched an investigation into the incident.
      • We spoke with the team involved to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
      • We’re updating our processes/platform/app.
      • As a small gesture of our gratitude for your patience and understanding, please accept <a bottle of wine, a gift basket>.

😔Big List of Apologetic Statements

NameTags
So I can understand the full extent of the issue/problem, could you please tell me a little more?Listen to Understand
I want to make sure that I really have an understanding of what you’re telling me. I’m hearing that…Listen to Understand
Thank you for alerting us to [ISSUE]. I recognize that this can’t have been an easy thing to deal with and I’m so sorry that this caused you to feel [insert expressed emotion].  Acknowledge Concern
I’m sorry, I can see how [ISSUE] must have been frustrating for you.Acknowledge Concern
I’m very sorry, I appreciate how difficult it must have been for you to deal with.Acknowledge Concern
If I were in your situation, I would feel the same.    Acknowledge Concern
I’m sorry to hear thatExpress Regret
We take pride in our high standards of service and we know that we did not meet your – or our own – expectations.Acknowledge Concern
Please allow me to apologize for your experience  Express Regret
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make this right.Thank Them for Feedback/Patience
I appreciate you bringing this to our attention, so that we can deal with this immediately.  Thank Them for Feedback/Patience
I would feel the same in your situation, but we will sort this out…Acknowledge Concern Offer Reassurance
We deeply value your relationship, and we are committed to providing you with the highest level of service. Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience.Thank Them for Feedback/Patience
Please know that we are doing everything in our power to make it right.Offer Reassurance
We understand how frustrating this can be and please know we’re doing everything we can to make it right.Acknowledge Concern Offer Reassurance
You were absolutely right to bring this to my attention, so I can [insert action]Offer Reassurance
I will try everything I can to resolve this by [date]Offer Reassurance
As I look into this, I will [insert action]…  Tell Them How You Will Fix it
What I’m doing now to help you is [insert action]  Tell Them How You Will Fix it
What I’m currently doing to help you is…Tell Them How You Will Fix it
This situation is difficult, but one solution that we could try is [insert solution]Tell Them How You Will Fix it
Now that I’m aware of the situation, we can look to fix it by [insert solution]Tell Them How You Will Fix it
If I were in your situation, I would feel the same. What I would try, and I suggest that we do too, is to [insert solution]  Tell Them How You Will Fix it
I will contact you as soon as I have an updateTell Them How You Will Fix it
I will work on resolving the problem and will be in touch by [date]Tell Them How You Will Fix it
I’m sorry that you’ve had this issue, but we have managed to [insert solution]. Now we have done that, our next steps are [insert next steps]  Tell Them How You Will Fix it Express Regret
We recognize that this is not ideal, and we ask for your continued patience throughout this process.Thank Them for Feedback/Patience Acknowledge Concern

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