How to Apologise over Email: 7 Steps to Writing The Best Apology Email

How a Founder apologised to 4 million people over email

Let’s face it.

Nobody really enjoys apologising.

Apologies are a sign that something’s gone awry, and we’re responsible for it.

It could likely diminish our trust and credibility in the eyes of people who matter most, be it our customers, partners or our bosses.

Yet, life isn’t perfect. Things can, will and do go wrong, and we need to take responsibility.

In such situations, how do you apologise genuinely and take ownership while maintaining credibility and trust?

Notion Founder Ivan Zhao did exactly that.

When Notion’s server had been interrupted, over 4 million users could not access the platform. For many, myself included, Notion was a critical tool that we used daily to organise our work, projects, and lives.

The outage ground 4 million people’s lives to a halt.

Following the outage, Ivan sent what was probably the most well-worded apology email I’ve ever seen.

He wrote this:

Why was it so good? What exactly did he do?

1. State the problem

He opened his email stating the problem: Notion was down.

No excuses, lies or blaming. Only facts.

He didn’t even cave in. This was important in order not to undermine confidence in the product or his team.

2. Explain the Problem

The next line illuminated the problem in more detail.

Notion was down because of an issue with Amazon Web Services.

This line communicates that the root cause of the problem has been identified.

It reflects the Notion team’s speed and efficiency. By the time users receive the email, the team is already fixing it.

They are reassured.

3. Take responsibility

With the root problem identified, Notion takes itself to task and informs all its clients they are already fixing it.

Again, they do not blame or deflect. They demonstrate ownership instead.

4. Remain optimistic…

Next, Ivan remains optimistic that the issues will be resolved soon.

Most people apologise after a mistake, seeking the other party’s forgiveness.

This puts all the power in the hands of the other party, and makes the apologiser look weak.

As CEO, signs of weakness during crisis diminishes credibility.

By remaining optimistic, he projects confidence in his product, maintaining Notion’s credibility despite the outage.

Confidence from the CEO during a challenging time is inspiring. It breeds trust from his 4 million customers.

5. …while being genuinely apologetic

Despite his confidence, he is not cocky.

He apologises a second time to convey genuine regret at the outage.

He understands this outage had caused many customers to face significant inconvenience.

6. Acknowledge Customers’ Frustration

Customers are undoubtedly frustrated, since they use Notion to keep track of a large part of their professional and personal lives.

An outage means a large part of their workday is disrupted.

Ivan understands this.

Therefore, instead of simply offering only a vanilla apology, he speaks directly to the frustration customers are facing, and the added misfortune of the outage occurring immediately upon returning from break when the most work needs to be cleared.

This reflects an awareness of their needs, and the indication of time conveys empathy — a deeply personal touch.

7. Communicate, communicate, communicate!

Finally, to end off his email, he links to Notion’s Twitter and promises regular updates every 30 minutes.

In times of crisis, communication from leadership is critical.

Not only does this highlight his personal responsibility and ownership over the problem, but it also demonstrates clarity of thought — a critical component to managing times of crisis.

Conclusion

Apology emails are never easy to write.

They touch on sensitive emotions and might be tricky to get across.

It’s exponentially worse with the weight of 4 million people on your shoulders.

Nonetheless, Ivan Zhao has managed to gather his composure and write one of the best apology emails I’ve ever seen.