Skip to content

Guides

Handle a delayed order complaint

A late order is a promise broken. Customers forgive a delay faster than silence, so reply quickly and honestly.

Last reviewed

Check the facts before replying

Look up the order and the carrier or supplier status so your first answer is specific, not a holding line.

Say what you know and what you do not

Give the current status and when you will next update them. Do not invent a delivery date.

Apologise once and offer a fix

Offer what your policy allows: a refund, a replacement or a goodwill credit. Let the customer choose where you can.

Follow up on the date you promised

Send the update even when nothing has changed. Silence after a promise is what makes people angry.

Look for the pattern

Tag delays by cause. A repeated supplier or carrier problem needs fixing at the source.

Questions

Should we refund automatically for a delay?

Only if your policy says so. Otherwise offer the choice and let the customer decide.

What if we cannot find the order?

Say so, ask for the details they have and promise a time when you will reply with an answer.

How often should we update?

Say when the next update is and keep to it, even if the update is that nothing has changed.

Written by Flatdesk, a help desk for small support teams at one flat price per agent. Try it free for 14 days, no card.