Start with the part that is verifiable
Separate the event you can describe from the motive or reaction you are guessing. For a message about how to apologize to customers for a data incident, use this factual base: confirm the order, charge, booking, or service problem and separate verified facts from what is still being checked.
Make one answerable request
Give the recipient one concrete question or next step instead of several emotional jobs at once. 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.
Leave the recipient in control
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. A clear message remains useful even when the answer is no or no answer arrives.