No matter how hard we try, eventually all of us screw up. Whether it is at work, or in our personal lives, we will all eventually have to write an apology letter. I don’t want to give the wrong impression when I tell you that I have become pretty good at writing such letters, I am not a constant screw up. But I am not perfect either, and have done somethings that need apologizing for. I’ve found that a really good apology can speed up the process of forgiveness and mending relationships. So here is my basic template that I use to write an apology.

1. Dear (name of person)

2. I writing to apologise for (blank)
Stating what it is you are apologizing for should always come in the first sentence. It shows the person that you know what you have done and acknowledge that it needs to be apologized for.

3. A. there was no excuse for my actions
B. This mistake was the result of miscommunication among our staff.
The person whom you have wronged will want some sort of reasoning behind your actions. A. works best for personal apology letters and is better than saying something along the lines of “I was having a bad day,” or “I had just broken up with my boyfrined.” The person who is receiving the letter does not care about your personal issues and will not see them as a valid excuse for doing the thing you did. It is better to just take the full blame without trying to make excuses. B. works best for job situations like coworkers or clients. You want to give them a reason for the mistake without going into to much detail and making yourself, or you company, look unprofessional. Give them a reason, but keep it somewhat vague.

4. I (we) am (are) very sorry for this mistake.
After saying what it is that you have done and giving a reason for why it happened, make sure to say you are sorry.

5. It will not happen again.
The person who is reading the apology will appreciate that you know what you did and are willing to learn from your mistakes. NOTE: it is very important that you don’t do whatever it is you are apologizing for again, if you do you will look like a two-faced moron.

6. I (we) hope you can forgive me (us) for this error.
This statement kind of puts the ball in the reader’s court. It puts them in control of where the situation goes, and a person who feels wronged will enjoy feeling that sort of power over you.

7. I am a big fan of your work and hope that we can continue to do business in the future.
Say something nice about them! It never hurts to suck up. Make sure to end the letter by saying something that shows you want the relationship to continue.

Though writing a good apology note cannot heal all wounds, it is a good start that will make you look like a professional and a good person instead of a person who does (whatever it was you did).