Transactional Templates

Apology Email Templates

Mistakes happen. How you handle them defines your brand.

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Nobody wants to send an apology email. But when things go wrong — outages, billing errors, delays — how you communicate matters more than the mistake itself. These templates help you acknowledge the issue, explain what happened, and show customers you're fixing it.

Ready-to-Use Templates

Copy these templates and customize them for your needs. Each includes HTML and plain text versions.

Service OutageBilling ErrorShipping DelayWrong Product Sent
Service Outage
Platform downtime or service disruption
SaaS platforms and online services
Subject Line

We're sorry — {{serviceName}} was down and here's what happened

Preview Text

An honest update about today's outage.

Personalization Variables:
{{companyName}}{{serviceName}}{{incidentDate}}{{duration}}{{explanation}}{{resolution}}{{senderName}}{{senderTitle}}{{companyAddress}}
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Billing Error
Accidental charge or incorrect billing
Subscription businesses and e-commerce
Subject Line

We made a billing mistake — here's the fix

Preview Text

Your refund is on the way.

Personalization Variables:
{{companyName}}{{firstName}}{{incorrectAmount}}{{correctAmount}}{{chargeDate}}{{refundAmount}}{{refundTimeline}}{{explanation}}{{supportEmail}}{{companyAddress}}
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Shipping Delay
Order delayed or shipping issues
E-commerce and physical product businesses
Subject Line

Your order is delayed — here's the update

Preview Text

We owe you an update on order #{{orderNumber}}.

Personalization Variables:
{{companyName}}{{firstName}}{{orderNumber}}{{originalDate}}{{newDate}}{{reason}}{{trackingUrl}}{{companyAddress}}
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Wrong Product Sent
Customer received the wrong item or incorrect service
E-commerce and product businesses
Subject Line

We sent the wrong item — let's fix this

Preview Text

Here's how we're making it right.

Personalization Variables:
{{companyName}}{{firstName}}{{orderNumber}}{{wrongItem}}{{correctItem}}{{compensation}}{{companyAddress}}
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Best Practices

Send immediately. The longer you wait, the worse it feels for the customer.

Own the mistake. Never blame the customer or make excuses.

Explain what happened and what you're doing to fix it.

Offer a clear resolution — refund, credit, replacement, or timeline.

Send from a real person (founder, CEO, support lead), not a no-reply address.

Common Mistakes

Using corporate language or legalese instead of speaking like a human.

Apologizing without explaining what happened or what's being done.

Over-apologizing to the point where the email feels insincere.

Hiding behind 'we're aware of an issue' without specifics.

Subject Line Examples

Timing & Performance

Best Days
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Best Times
9:00 AM, 2:00 PM
Open Rate
25-35%
Click Rate
3-5%

Personalization Tips

Speed Beats Perfection

When something goes wrong, don't wait for the perfect email. A quick, honest "we messed up, here's what we're doing" sent immediately builds more trust than a polished message sent hours later. Customers want to know you're on it.

Own the Mistake Completely

Never use passive voice like "an error occurred" or "you were affected by an issue." Say "we made a mistake" and "we're fixing it." Taking direct ownership shows integrity and builds loyalty — customers remember how you handled the problem, not the problem itself.

Include the Resolution

An apology without a fix is just words. Every apology email should answer three questions: What happened? What are you doing about it? What does the customer need to do (if anything)?

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Frequently Asked Questions

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