My great x 5 uncle Alexander Donald is apologising for having chased up an already paid invoice - "I beg two thousand Pardons... I alone am to blame for I ought to have recollected the settlement which had taken place here of your account ... But in the hurry of business it really had escaped my memory...I trust you will have the goodness to forgive this blunder"
Not a bad apology - takes the blame squarely on his shoulders etc, says sorry, and asks to move on. Good lessons for all of us in corporate communications.
However, my favourite business apology I have read from Alexander, who had quite a bit of previous in writing such things until he ended up in debtor's jail, was written to Thomas Jefferson - this time he has just not got round to doing something for him, so comes up with this:
"The Truth of the matter is that I had some friends dining with me that day, and we made rather too free with the Juice of the Grape"
So basically - "sorry mate - didn't do it. Was drunk". Certainly brutally honest, but that one I would suggest he worked on a bit. Needs a bit of finesse.
I have now been shortlisted for a competition at the Swem Collection having spent some time in their archives - if you want to vote for me, and voting finishes on 22nd Feb so vote now! - please go to the Swem's Special Collections page and vote.
