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Out of stock: how to answer 'when will this be back?'

Answer a stock question with the date you expect the item back, or say plainly that you don't have one. If the customer needs it sooner, offer the closest alternative you can ship now and the refund path if they'd rather wait.

Give a date or say you don't have one

Check the purchase order or the supplier update before you reply. If the item is due on a named date, give that date and say it comes from the supplier. If there is no date, say so in the first sentence and don't fill the gap with 'soon'.

A guessed date that slips creates a second email and a customer who no longer trusts the first one. A plain 'I don't have a date yet' is honest, and a customer can plan around it.

Offer what you can ship today

Look for the nearest alternative in the same size, colour or function. Link to the product page and say which part is different. If nothing is close, say that too and let the customer choose between waiting and a refund.

For an order that is already paid, explain what happens to the payment. You can hold the order, swap the item or refund it. Pick the options the owner has approved and write them as choices.

Set the restock notification expectation

If your store has a back-in-stock alert, give the link and say when the alert usually goes out. If it doesn't, offer to email the customer yourself on the day stock lands and put a note on the order.

Don't promise a hold on stock unless you can reserve it. A customer who is told the item is held will expect it to be there, and a sold-out notice after that is a complaint. If you can't hold it, say when the next delivery lands and let the customer decide.

Copy-paste reply templates

Restock date is known

Hi [first name],

[item] is out of stock until [date]. Our supplier has confirmed that delivery, and I'll email you the moment it lands if you'd like.

If you need it sooner, [alternative] is in stock and ships today. Reply and I'll swap it or refund [order number].

Thanks,
[your name]

No restock date

Hi [first name],

I don't have a restock date for [item] yet. The supplier hasn't given us one, and I'd rather tell you that than guess.

I can refund [order number] today, swap it for [alternative], or keep the order open and write to you when I have a date. Which would you prefer?

Thanks,
[your name]

Paid order waiting on stock

Hi [first name],

[item] on [order number] is still out of stock. I can hold the order until [date], swap it for [alternative], or refund [amount] now.

Tell me which you'd like and I'll confirm today. Nothing else on the order is affected.

Thanks,
[your name]

When to escalate to the owner

  • A refund above the amount you set as the inbox cap.
  • A customer who says the delay has broken a contract or a deadline.
  • A legal threat or a chargeback warning.
  • A preorder that has slipped more than once.
  • A customer who has asked for the same restock date three times.

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