Apology letters are best used to convey an apology you won’t or can’t make in person. Many situations requiring an apology escalate to conflict when parties meet face-to-face. In these cases, a letter disconnects the writer from the reader and suspends the confrontation. Likewise, if you’re responsible for the situation, apology letters allow you to convey your regret from a distance.

For an example of a completely written Apology, take a look at…

Apology Letter ~ apologizing to boss for misconduct.

Follow this outline…

Format

1. Use the Friendly format arrangement for Apology Letters:

a. to the right side of the letter header place the return address
b. make two carriage returns
c. directly below the return address, place the date
d. make three carriage returns
e. do not include a reference line
f. begin your letter
g. indent the body paragraphs five spaces each
h. center the closing and signature so that the left-most character of each are justified to the center of the page if the paper were folded.

Wording

1. Present your apology without conditions. Do not divide the responsibility, such as, “Please accept my apology, even though I know we both were somewhat responsible…”
2. If the blame clearly belongs to a third party and that is understood by the reader, apologize, but explain that the consequences were beyond your control.
3. If you are responsible for the situation, accept the blame.
4. The opening paragraph of our letter eloquently places the blame on the writer. The same paragraph goes on to describe the feelings the writer has toward his actions.
5. The next two paragraphs cleverly ask for forgiveness (and subtly suggest that the writer hopes to continue his job) before closing with a Thank You in the final paragraph.

Tone

1. Maintain a formal tone whether making a professional or personal apology.

Email

1. With time being as critical to everyone as it is, sending an Apology Letter via email, once considered a faux pas, is now becoming increasingly more accepted.
a. Send your letter in the same format as you would for snail mail - this conveys to the reader that you took the time to create a professional correspondence.
b. Depending on the circumstances, send the message from the appropriate email account: personal email account for a personal
correspondence, professional email account for professional correspondence.

Printing

1. Before printing, decide on what paper to use. For Apology Letters, it is best to use high-grade card stock.
2. Print your letter and envelope on the same printer using the same font and an envelope that matches the stationery.

Signature

1. Make three carriage returns between the closing and your typed signature. Inside this space, sign your name for professional correspondence. For personal correspondence, there is no need for a typed signature. Simply, sign your name.

Visit www.LetterRep.com for a Free Sample Apology Letter, hundreds of sample personal and business letters and Online Tools for Addressing, Dating, Editing, Formatting, Printing, Emailing and Faxing.

Rob Noyes owns and operates the Internet’s premiere Personal and Business Letter-writing site. LetterRep.com. Contact Rob at admin@letterrep.com for answers and solutions to common letter-writing situations.