One formula I found to work well for writing a successful apology is to write three statements (apology, problem, solution) with the common thread of openness and accountability.
As a scrappy startup focusing on your core proposition you will cause some pain to your customers all while they still love the product. We’ve made a few of these mistakes, some big (leaving a security hole and getting hacked), some small (sending an annoying email to everyone). We don’t try to deny or hide any of it. In fact, the fundamental principle that runs through our veins is openness and accountability.
In cases where you owe your customers an apology, here is a formula that has worked for us.
(1) I’m sorry for…
First, you must confess that you screwed up. In the process you must take accountability and you must be open about the problem. This is critical; when you apologize you must identify what actually went wrong. It is critical because it is also a big opportunity to screw it up if you don’t do it right. For example, if by accident you send an annoying email to a customer (we did this once), you should say “We apologize for sending an annoying email”, the worst thing you could do would be to write “I’m sorry you felt annoyed by our email.”
(2) This is what went wrong…
Explain what went wrong. Again, there is a right way and a wrong way. This is where you can get your customers trust back. If you explain the issue to them in detail, they will feel respected that you confined in them and they will support your decisions. If you use this as an excuse you will not gain the customers trust as it will be clear that you are not taking accountability for your actions.
(3) This is what we are doing to fix this…
Lastly, you must make things right. At this point, you have better fixed the issue or have a clear plan of action. If you do not, this should be your number one priority. If you fixed the issue immediately, thats great, but don’t wait to have a fix ready before sending the apology. If you don’t have a fix ready, make a damn clear plan on how you will fix this. The plan is actually irrelevant, what you are actually doing here is making yourself accountable by telling your customers to make you accountable. You must deliver on your promises or you will lose your customers trust.
This formula works. What makes this work, isn’t the three pieces of data, but it is the common thread that runs through them: openness and accountability.
