How to Professionally Apologize for a Late Response: 20+ Email Examples!

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4 easy steps to write the perfect formal apology after a late response
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Realizing that you missed someone’s email can be frustrating, but letting them know you’re sorry for the late reply doesn’t have to be. We spoke to Los Angeles business and career coach Elaine Lou Cartas to get tips on how to professionally make amends for tardiness and move on in your work week. Keep reading to learn how to professionally apologize, streamline your workflow, and never miss an email again.

How to Apologize for a Late Response

  1. Directly apologize for replying late to their message.
  2. Briefly explain what caused your lateness.
  3. Express gratitude for their patience and acknowledge how they may have been affected.
  4. Address their original concern and offer next steps or solutions.
  5. Delegate tasks to other people when you can’t be timely.
Section 1 of 5:

How to Apologize After Forgetting to Respond

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  1. Whenever you’re writing a professional email , start with a professional salutation. [1] If you know the person’s name, use a formal title while addressing the recipient. For example:
    • Dear Mx. Nancy,
    • Hello Mr. Price,
    • Good morning,
    • If you know the person well or have a relationship outside of the workplace, you can use greetings like “Hey,” and “Hi.”
  2. After your apology, let the person know why you were late, but don’t go on longer than necessary. It’s more important to quickly address the person’s needs than to go into depth about what happened. [2]
    • I’m sorry for the late response, I had to check in with another team to get the information you wanted.
    • Apologies for the late reply, I was out of the office last week.
    • I’m sorry about getting back to you so late, we’re having maintenance done on our servers and that’s been causing a serious email back-up.
    • Sorry for any inconvenience this lateness may have caused, our team just picked up your case from the Customer Service Department.
    • Sorry man, I wasn’t checking my email while I was on vacation.
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  3. Briefly go over the person’s query or concern to show that you’re aware of what needs to be done, and then tell them how you’re going to complete their request. [3]
    • I’ve alerted our sales team about your account; you can expect a reply from one of my colleagues in the next two business days.
    • I’m sorry to hear that you were dissatisfied with the product. You will receive a full refund once you send us confirmation of your return.
    • I will get that report to you by end-of-day.
    • Sorry that I was late, but, yes, I can still take you to the doctor next week.
  4. In a business setting, end your email with words like “Best,” “Sincerely,” or “Thank you.” If the email may require a follow-up, write something like, “If you have any questions, please let me know.” [4] For an informal email, you can just say “Goodbye,” or bring up another unrelated matter.
    • Thank you again for your patience,
    • Let me know if you have any concerns,
    • It was nice seeing your sister the other day, by the way. Tell her and the family that I say hi.
    • I’m seeing you next week, right? Talk to you soon.
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Section 2 of 5:

How to Apologize for a Late Response Without Saying “Sorry”

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  1. Nowadays, people can feel flooded by apologies, and sometimes, they can feel less meaningful than they’re intended to be. If you’re trying to avoid apologizing, acknowledge the other person’s patience with you instead. [5]
    • Thank you so much for your patience on this matter.
    • Thank you for all your patience.
    • Thanks for waiting, your patience means a lot to me.
  2. The best way to improve this situation is through your actions. By reassuring someone that you’re on their case and following through, you’re more likely to put the other person at ease and allow them to overlook your lateness. [6]
    • I want to assure you that your case is our top priority, and we’ll take care of your concerns within the next business day.
    • I’m going to personally make sure that this matter is handled immediately.
    • Thank you for waiting, we are still able to complete your request in the timeframe you outlined.
  3. Apologies are most important when you’ve hurt or seriously inconvenienced someone. If the matter is small enough, simply acknowledging your responsibility and moving on with your work is usually a good way to respond. [7]
    • Thank you for waiting, I was taking care of a critical issue and couldn’t respond as quickly as I would’ve liked.
    • Our office has been incredibly busy these last two weeks, thank you for all your understanding.
    • I had to check in with my team lead before getting back to you, thank you for your patience.
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Section 3 of 5:

Example “Sorry for This Late Response” Emails

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  1. 1
    Late reply emails for customers When replying late to customers, the most important thing is to quickly address their needs and let them know that their concerns are now your top priority. Here are some example emails to respond to customers: [8]
    • Hello Mrs. Jung,

      I’m sorry for the late response, I had to check in with another team before I could process your request. I see that one of the items that you ordered came damaged. We can send you a replacement or a refund if you return the item with the shipping label attached to this email. Please send me confirmation after doing so, and I can get the process rolling on our side.

      Please let me know if there is anything else we can do to help.

      Thank you,
      Support Team
    • Dear Mx. Essa

      Thank you for waiting, your original Customer Assistant is on leave, so I will be handling the rest of this request. If you can send me the date of your order and the last 4 digits of the card you used to pay, I can check on the status of your package.

      Thank you,
      Bruce
  2. 2
    Late reply emails for job applicants The hiring process at some companies can take several steps, and it could be many days (or weeks, or even months) before you find your perfect candidate. [9] While it may have taken you a while to reply, people often expect to wait before hearing back from a company. Assure potential hires that their time is important to you by sending an email like one of these examples:
    • Dear Ms. Lee,

      Thank you so much for your patience, we’ve been doing maintenance on the office servers, and that caused a large email back-up. I looked over your application and forwarded it to our hiring manager. You should hear back from her in 3-5 business days, but feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions in the meantime.

      Thank you,
      Bruce Carmichael
    • Dear Chalice,

      Our apologies for the late reply, we had over 200 applicants for the position. We would like to bring you on for the next part of the hiring process; could you send us a few dates and times next week when you would be available for an online interview? Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

      Best,
      Bruce
  3. 3
    Late reply emails for friends and acquaintances If you miss an email or text from a friend, it’s usually less of an issue than in a professional setting. Still, an apology for tardiness is always polite. Try one of these sample messages to reassure your pal:
    • Hey Emily,

      I’m sorry I couldn’t get back to you earlier, my mother’s been sick so I haven’t been checking my email. Thank you for sending over those pictures for me, I’m planning on printing them off sometime next week. I’ll let you know if there’s anything else I need from you, but assumedly, you’ll hear back from me on Friday.

      Thanks again,
      Bruce
    • Hi Dad,

      Sorry to keep you waiting, I’ve been really busy with work stuff. I took a look at the script and I think it’s good, maybe you could add something about the hiking trip we all went on last year. Talk to you soon,

      Bruce
  4. 4
    Late reply emails for coworkers When talking to your peers, you can often dial down the formality a bit, but you still want to be professional. Check out these examples of how to apologize for a late response in an email to a colleague: [10]
    • Hi Jonah,

      Apologies for the late response, work was a nightmare yesterday, and your email got buried. I submitted the form you requested, and you should have the results by EOD. Thank you for your patience!

      Sincerely,
      Bruce
    • Hey Eli,

      I appreciate you waiting, it took me a lot longer to fill out that form than I expected. My responses are attached to this email, thanks again!

      -Bruce
  5. 5
    Short late reply emails Great, effective emails are short and to the point. [11] Move on to problem-solving without missing a beat with one of these brief email templates:
    • Dear Ms. Belmouloud,

      My apologies for the late response, our support team is overwhelmed with requests right now. What can I help you with today?

      Sincerely,
      Bruce
    • Hey Carly,

      Sorry for getting back to you so late, I must’ve missed your email. I can get those reports to you by noon today, thanks for your patience!
      -Bruce
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Section 4 of 5:

How to Respond to an Apology Email

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  1. It can be awkward to respond to an apology, so if it’s not a big deal, don’t spend too much time focusing on it. Say something like “I understand, it happens to the best of us,” or “Thank you for the apology, I know we’re all busy this time of year,” recommends Cartas.
    • Avoid sounding frustrated or upset. Although people can make big mistakes, keeping things cordial will ultimately make your workplace experience better.
  2. When someone inconveniences you, Cartas advises to be direct with them about how you want your interactions to be handled going forward. After acknowledging their apology, write something like this example offered by Cartas:
    • I understand why your response was late, but at the same time, I want to make sure both of our schedules are being respected. In the future, I’d like to see a 24-hour turnaround from you on reports. I understand that things out of our control sometimes pop up, so if this happens again, please let me know in advance. Thank you for sending these along for me.
    • If your emails aren’t being responded to in a timely manner, consider putting when you’d like a response in the subject line of your email. That way, people can immediately know what’s urgent, explains Cartas.
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Section 5 of 5:

Preventing Future Late Replies

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  1. Cartas advises that one of the most important organizational skills is time management. If you’re struggling with lateness, set aside time in the first 30 minutes of your workday to check your email and make sure you’re aware of what projects you need to be working on.
  2. Cartas recommends putting a star on urgent emails so you can quickly scan your inbox for important matters. You can also set up email folders for specific clients, subjects, and projects.
  3. When you’re at work, people may ask more of you than what’s really feasible. If you share duties with other people, are picking up extra work from other teams, or are just struggling to get something done, Cartas advises to reach out to your colleagues to help pick up the slack.
    • Cartas reminds us that you can stick up for yourself, even in a business setting: “As an [employee], you shouldn’t just do everything that someone is telling you to do. [It’s important to be] able to express to your supervisor or colleagues, ‘Hey, I understand you want to do a project, but at the same time, I have B, C, and D, and these are taking up all my priorities. If you want me to finish that project, one of them has to be delayed. So, which one will it be?’”
  4. If you have to leave, it’s your responsibility to be sure everything is set up for your absence. A few things to note, according to Cartas, are to make sure your emails are being forwarded to someone else, your boss is aware of your situation, and a system has been set up for your work to be done by someone else.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/S9vWpbaU4Ao?t=77
      2. ↑ https://gallaudet.edu/student-success/tutorial-center/english-center/writing/how-to-write-letters/how-to-write-apologies/
      3. ↑ https://hbr.org/2013/03/how-to-give-a-meaningful-apolo
      4. ↑ https://www.menlo.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/writing-a-formal-email.pdf
      5. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/06/01/stop-apologizing-10-alternative-approaches-to-im-sorry/
      6. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/06/01/stop-apologizing-10-alternative-approaches-to-im-sorry/
      7. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/06/01/stop-apologizing-10-alternative-approaches-to-im-sorry/
      8. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/02/02/eight-tips-for-providing-excellent-customer-service/
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/TbzQkxxejgE?t=82
      1. ↑ https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/communicationskills/how-formal-should-an-email-be/1/
      2. ↑ https://www.menlo.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/writing-a-formal-email.pdf

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