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顧客に支払いが遅れたことを謝罪しよう

Apologizing for a delay in payment

あなたは顧客への支払いが遅れてしまったことを謝罪しています。

相手に誠意を伝えることは日本人同士でも難しい問題です。しかしながら、社の信用に関わることは、自分の問題によって引き起こされたものなのか、社内での問題によって引き起こされたのかしっかりと相手に伝え、相手の納得のいく対処策を提示しましょう。

Two weeks have passed since you received our shipment. Why haven't you paid us yet?

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Two weeks have passed since you received our shipment. Why haven't you paid us yet?

I apologize for our payment delay. I'm confirming the payment with our accounting department. I passed the invoice to a member of the department after I received it. However, we've not paid yet.

自然な表現

I apologize for the delay in our payment. I'm verifying the payment status with our accounting department. I passed the invoice to a member of the department after I received it. However, we've not paid yet.

1. "Our payment delay" uses "payment" as a noun modifier, which sounds unnatural in an apology. The standard phrase is "the delay in (our) payment".
2. "Confirming the payment" suggests that the payment has already been made or approved and you are only confirming it. You mean that you are finding out what has happened to the payment, so "verifying the payment status" is more accurate. "Verify" also suits a formal business apology better than a casual word like "check".
3. Your phrase is correct. As an alternative, you can also say: "I forwarded the invoice to a member of the department." "Forward" is the usual business verb for sending a document you received on to someone else.

Thank you for checking with accounting, though two weeks is longer than expected for a confirmed invoice. Could you let me know what the accounting department says when they respond today, and whether there is a specific issue holding up the payment or simply a backlog in processing?

I understand. The department is urgently checking the reason for the non-payment, so I believe I can receive a response soon. I've received it now. The invoice from your company was left out of the scope of payment due to a mistake by a member of the accounting department. I'm so sorry.

自然な表現

I understand. The department is urgently investigating the reason for the non-payment, so I believe I will receive a response soon. I've just received it. The invoice from your company was left out of the payment schedule due to a mistake by a member of the accounting department. I sincerely apologize.

1. Your sentence is correct. As an alternative, you can also say: "I understand your concern." This shows the client that you recognize why they are worried.
2. In English, you check a fact or a document, but you do not usually "check a reason". When you are trying to find out why something happened, the natural verb is "investigate" (or "look into").
3. "Can" talks about ability or possibility, but here you are predicting what will happen soon. To make a prediction, use "will": "I believe I will receive a response soon."
4. The present perfect ("I've received") does not usually go with "now". To show that something happened a moment ago, put "just" before the past participle: "I've just received it."
5. "The scope of payment" is not a natural English phrase. The list of invoices a company plans to pay is usually called "the payment schedule" (or "the payment run").
6. This is a formal business apology, so "I sincerely apologize" fits better than "I'm so sorry", which sounds personal and emotional.

Thank you for getting to the bottom of it quickly, and I appreciate the honest explanation about the invoice being left out. These mistakes happen, though I hope the payment can be processed now without further delay. Could you confirm the expected payment date today, so we can close this out?

I understand. I believe we'll pay by tomorrow at the latest, but I'll contact you after reconfirming the payment date. We'll also consider measures to prevent similar issues.

自然な表現

I understand. I believe we'll pay by tomorrow at the latest, but I'll contact you after reconfirming the payment date. We'll also consider measures to prevent similar issues.

1. Your sentence is correct. As an alternative, you can also say: "We will also look into measures to prevent similar issues from occurring again." The pattern "prevent + something + from + -ing" is common in business writing, and you can use it to say exactly what you want to stop from happening.

Thank you, tomorrow at the latest works, and I appreciate you putting prevention measures in place. Please do confirm once the payment is scheduled, so I can update our records. Will the transfer be sent in the morning or later in the day, in case I need to notify our finance team to watch for it?

I appreciate your understanding. I'm not sure when the transfer will be sent. I'll confirm it and inform you of it as well. Regarding the prevention measures, I'll discuss them with the accounting department this week and report them to you next week.

自然な表現

1. Your sentence is correct. As an alternative, you can also say: "I'll confirm the timing and keep you informed." Saying "the timing" instead of "it" makes clear what you will confirm, and "keep you informed" is a common, polite business phrase.

Thank you, and I will wait for your update on the transfer timing. Sharing the prevention measures next week is a good step, since it shows this will not repeat. Could you also ask accounting to send a payment confirmation once the transfer clears, so our finance team can match it without chasing you again?

Yes, sir. I'll ask the department to send a payment confirmation to your finance team once the payment is completed. I'm sorry for the inconvenience this time. We'll try not to repeat the same issues. We appreciate your continued support and understanding.

自然な表現

Yes, sir. I'll ask the department to send a payment confirmation to your finance team once the payment is completed. I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. We'll try not to repeat the same mistake. We appreciate your continued support and understanding.

1. This is a formal business apology, so "I apologize" is better than "I'm sorry", which sounds more personal and casual.
2. "The inconvenience this time" is a word-for-word translation and is not natural in English. The standard phrase is "the inconvenience this has caused", which uses a relative clause to say what caused the inconvenience.
3. The problem was one mistake by a member of the accounting department, so the plural "issues" does not match the situation. "The same mistake" refers to it exactly and also takes clear responsibility for it.
4. Your sentence is correct. As an alternative, you can also say: "We value our relationship with your company and appreciate your continued support and understanding." Adding "We value our relationship with your company" is a polite way to end a business apology.

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顧客に支払いが遅れたことを謝罪しよう

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