客户投诉连载：交货期推迟，该如何回复？ How to Write Apology Letters
任何人做生意，都不希望出现任何问题，比如员工服务态度问题，比如车间排产问题，比如产品质量问题，比如售后服务问题等。但是问题是在所难免的，总会有这样那样的问题出现，这就需要我们去妥善处理问题，尽最大努力向客户道歉并予以弥补。
No one wants to meet any problems when doing business.
Customer Service
Workshop Production
Product Quality
After-sales Service
。。。
However, problems are inevitable. It comes now and then. We need to deal with the problems properly and do our best to apologize to the clients and make up for what they have suffered.
许多公司都害怕向客户写道歉信，因为他们害怕为不好的事情承认错误,接受指责。 然而，道歉不是世界末日，道歉是更好合作的开始，道歉以后还要提供合理的解决方案，这在先前的文章里反复强调过了。很多人觉得说声对不起就完事了，这远远不够。
Many companies dread writing apology letters to their clients out of fear of admitting wrongdoing or accepting blame for an unpleasant situation. However, an apology is not the end of the world – in fact, it is a new beginning of cooperation.
You must provide your clients with proper and reasonable solutions after you apologize. It's not ok with only an apology, that's far from the satisfication.
外贸铁手腕：如何让新客成为老客，获得更多订单？ How to get old clients and more orders?
——Mike外贸说
如果表达得当，道歉可以是增进与客户的合作的手段，客户会觉得你负责任，可信赖。成功的道歉可以将消极的体验变成积极的体验。但如果你保持沉默，置之不理，那客户绝对不会再与你合作。
If an apology is properly expressed, it can be a means of enhancing cooperation between you and your clients. Your clients will believe that you are very responsible, trustable and reliable.
However, if you just keep silent, pretending that nothing had happend, the clients will absolutely refuse to work with you any more.
以下Mike分别列举一封服务质量差的和一封好的道歉信示例，以便大家知道如果你的公司需要应对类似情况该怎么做。
Mike listed a bad and a good example of Apology Letter for your reference, so you know how to deal with such situation when it comes to you.
为糟糕的客户服务待遇道歉
Apologizing for Poor Customer Treatment为损坏或有缺陷的产品或服务道歉
Apologizing for a Damaged or Defective Product or Service为延迟或不当运输道歉
Apologizing for Delayed or Improper Shipping为结算问题道歉
Apologizing for Billing Issues为产品召回道歉
Apologizing for a Product Recall为取消服务或活动而道歉
Apologizing for Canceling a Service or Event
今天我们讲第三种情况：
The Third Situation:
Apologizing for Delayed or Improper Shipping
经过多次谈判，可能我们最终与客户确认了订单。然而客户打了定金之后，我们可能突然发现订单太多，导致仓库缺货,所以交货期要推迟，或者生产完毕后，装运时间因遇到台风而不得不被推迟，都会导致我们无法兑现我们承诺的交货时间。
After repeated negotiations, we may have confirmed the orders with our clients finally. However, after the deposits are received, we may suddenly find that the goods are out of stock for too many coming orders, so the delivery date has to be delayed, or after the production is completed, the shipment may also have to be postponed as typhoon approaches, all of which, will lead to our failure to deliver the goods at promised time.
交货期相对来说，是国际贸易里相当重要的一部分。尤其是对一些节日促销品来说，交货期更加重要。
The delivery time is a relatively important part of foreign trade business. Especially for some festival promotional items, the delivery time is rather more important.
如果不能提供合理的解决方案，很可能会打乱客户的销售计划，进而给客户造成损失。之前也讲过如何去解决问题，这里就不再提了。因为今天分享的主题就是如何写道歉信。
Failure to provide reasonable solutions is likely to disrupt your clients' sales plan, which in turn can cause losses to them. I've talked a little bit about how to fix such problems, but I'm not going to talk more about it. Coz the theme of today's talk is how to write an apology letter.
Bad Example：
Dear ***,
We are sorry to inform you that the delivery has to be postponed.
We'll try our best to deliver the goods as early as possible.
Thx,
***
Good Example:
Dear ***,
We are so sorry to let you know that the *** you purchased from us may not be able to be delivered on time.
The demand for these particular&popular items has exceeded our expectation, and our stock is depleted. However, the new batch of these items will be ready next Friday, on which we have confirmed with our production department for your shipment.
We understand that as a professional client, after you make a purchase, you definitely expect to receive your products in a timely manner. We know that we have let you down, and for which, we wanna express our serious&sincere apology to you.
Please advise us on whether you would like to cancel your order or have us ship the goods once they become available.
You will be kept updated for production and shipment.
Again, we apologize for all the inconvenience caused by this.
Come to us if you need any further help.
Sincerely yours,
***
应该做：
Things to do:
解释为什么装运推迟
Explain why the shipment is delayed.
让客户知道你会尽快为他们准备货物。
Let them know that they'll get the goods as soon as possible.
表示出，对此造成的不便，你很在乎。
Show that you care about all the inconvenience this may have caused.
表明会让客户知道生产和装运的情况。
Guarantee that they'll be kept updated for production and shipment.向客户表示，如有问题，我们愿意提供协助
Provide help
不要做：
Things can't do:
对装运的延迟原因表达模糊不清
Be vague about the cause for the shipping delay.找借口或推卸责任
Make excuses or pass the buck不提供任何解决方案
Provide the clients with no solutions.让客户自己采取额外的步骤，以便减少损失，例如重新订购产品。
Let the clients take extra steps on their own so as to decrease their own loss, such as reordering the products.
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