A real apology rebuilds trust; a non-apology ("we're sorry you feel that way") destroys it. The difference is specific: acknowledge what happened, own it without excuses, show you understand the impact, and say concretely what you'll do. This skill writes apologies that actually land — sincere, accountable, and specific to the situation.
Working from a brief
Given "apologise to a customer whose order we lost", write the full apology anyway — infer the impact and a reasonable remedy, label assumptions, and bracket only details to confirm (names, dates, specific compensation). Never hand back advice about apologising instead of the apology itself.
Required Inputs
Ask for these only if they aren't already provided (else infer and label):
- What happened — the mistake, and who was affected.
- The impact — how it affected them (inconvenience, cost, trust, harm).
- Your responsibility — what you got wrong (own your part plainly).
- The remedy — what you'll do to fix it and prevent recurrence, and any make-good offer.
- Recipient & tone — one customer / a community / the public; and how formal.
Output Format
Apology: [situation]
A complete, ready-to-send message in this order:
- Acknowledge — name specifically what happened, up front.
- Take responsibility — own it directly ("we got this wrong"), no "if", no "but", no blame-shifting.
- Empathy — show you understand the actual impact on them.
- Make it right — the concrete fix and, where appropriate, a make-good (refund, replacement, credit).
- Prevent recurrence — briefly, what changes so it doesn't happen again (only if true).
- Close — sincere, human, with a way to reach a real person.
Then provide a short version (2–4 sentences) for chat/social, and notes on anything to confirm.
Quality Checks
- Acknowledges the specific mistake — not a vague "issues occurred"
- Takes real responsibility — no "if we offended", "but", or blaming the customer/circumstances
- Shows genuine understanding of the impact, in their terms
- Offers a concrete fix and, where fitting, a way to make it right
- Prevention is mentioned only if true, not as empty reassurance
- Tone matches the severity — proportionate, sincere, not grovelling or glib
Anti-Patterns
- Do not write a non-apology ("we're sorry you feel that way", "mistakes were made") — it makes it worse
- Do not use conditional language ("if this caused any inconvenience") when harm clearly occurred
- Do not bury the apology under excuses, context, or self-justification
- Do not over-promise prevention you can't deliver
- Do not be so brief it reads as dismissive, or so effusive it reads as insincere — match the harm
Based On
Effective-apology practice — specific acknowledgement, unconditional responsibility, empathy, concrete remedy, and credible prevention.
Example Trigger Phrases
- "Write an apology."
- "Say sorry to a customer."
- "Make amends after a mistake."
- "Respond to a complaint with an apology."