Check who should receive the message
Confirm that you have the right person, the right role, and permission to disclose the information involved. For a message about how to apologize to a guest for a lost reservation, use this factual base: confirm the order, charge, booking, or service problem and separate verified facts from what is still being checked.
Separate information from interpretation
Label confirmed facts, open questions, and the specific decision that belongs to the recipient. Offer the available refund, replacement, correction, or escalation with dates and ownership. Make the immediate next step clear enough that the recipient can answer without reconstructing the entire history.
Use formal help when stakes rise
Do not use empathy as a substitute for a remedy or ask the customer to repeat information you already have. Move payment, privacy, accessibility, and product safety incidents into the documented specialist process immediately. Medical, legal, financial, employment, and safety decisions may require a qualified professional rather than personal persuasion.