Being wrong doesn't feel like anything, and there's nothing wrong with being wrong. It happens to everybody. Realizing you’ve made a mistake can be difficult and perhaps embarrassing - I've been there - but letting others know that you got it wrong is important to healthy relationships. You can do this in person, on the phone, by email, WhatsApp, a personal note or a post-it. Every medium has a different impact, every person has different preferences on how they want to receive/give an apology. In the end, just remember, apologizing is going to make you seem human, regardless of the outcome.

When is an apology via email appropriate?

It's not always possible or practical to meet someone in person. Apologizing on the phone can be difficult if you don't know the other person, or if you're just not very good at apologizing over the phone.

But, when: ...

• Time is of the essence
• You want everyone to get the same apology at the same time
• You have a lot to say
• Your apology is formal
• You want or expect very little to nothing in return

...then an email might be appropriate.

The perfect apology

I found this via Google. If your apology contains the following...:

• give a detailed account of the situation
• acknowledge the hurt or damage done
• take responsibility
• recognize your/the company's role in the situation
• include a statement of regret
• ask for forgiveness
• promise that it won't happen again
• provide a form of restitution (if possible)

... it's pretty much a perfect business apology. Here are a few phrases to get you started, related to some of the above categories:

Apologize

1. Please accept my apologies.
2. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to..
3. (I’m) sorry. I didn’t realize the impact of...
4. Please accept our deepest apologies for...
5. Please accept my sincere apologies for...
6. Please accept this as my formal apology for…
7. Please allow me to apologize for…
8. I would like to express my deep regrets for...
9. I would like to apologize on behalf of our company.
10. Please accept my apology for...
11. I apologize for my failure to...
12. I'm particularly sorry for...

Acknowledge/recognize

1. We appreciate that this caused you inconvenience...
2. I understand that our actions meant...
3. I can imagine that you felt like...
4. We see that our actions impacted you unnecessarily...
5. As a result of our decision, our relationship was affected...

Explain

1. In our efforts to optimize our distribution process, we overlooked...
2. The defect/problem was caused by...
3. The error was due to...
4. Our internal communication failed. As a result...

Promise

1. We're convinced that the changes we've implemented will prevent this from happening again.
2. In the future, our focus will be on..., so that this situation won't repeat itself.
3. We'll be increasing our efforts when it comes to..., so that in the future...
4. We've increased our efforts to ensure that...
5. I can promise you that the highest quality standards will be met going forward.

The SPASS model

When it comes to writing the email, structuring your email can be difficult. The SPASS model is perfect for email apologies. It's simple and easy to remember. SPASS = Situation - Problem - Action - Say Sorry. That's it. Finally, I apologize for keeping you from what you were doing, with another very long post.

Be great!