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Shipping delay email to customers: what to say

A shipping delay email should apologize once, explain what happened in plain words, and give a new date the customer can hold you to. Don't blame the carrier without saying what you're doing about it.

Apologize once, then move to the fix

The apology belongs in the first sentence, and it only needs one sentence. After that, the customer wants the cause and the new date, and then the choice. Repeating the apology in every paragraph reads as filler and buries the part they need.

Name the cause only if you know it. 'The carrier's depot is running behind' is useful. 'Unforeseen circumstances' tells the customer nothing and sounds like a template.

Give a date rather than a range you can't meet

Replace 'soon' with a weekday and a date. If you genuinely don't know, give the date you'll have an answer and say who you're waiting on. A customer can plan around a real date, even a disappointing one.

If the order contains several items and only one is delayed, say which one and offer to ship the rest now. A partial shipment with a clear list beats a silent wait.

Say what happens if the new date slips

Put the next step in the email before the customer has to ask. You can offer a replacement, a refund of the shipping charge or a full refund if the parcel doesn't arrive by the new date. Pick the option your policy allows and write it as a promise you can keep.

Keep the same thread for updates. A customer who has to open a new email to find the latest date will write to you again, and that second message costs more time than the update would have.

Copy-paste reply templates

Delay you already know about

Hi [first name],

I'm sorry your order [order number] is running late. [carrier] has had the parcel since [date], and their depot is behind, so the new delivery date is [date].

I'll check the tracking again on [date] and write to you that day. If it hasn't moved by then, I'll send a replacement or refund you, whichever you prefer.

Thanks for waiting,
[your name]

Carrier backlog with no scan

Hi [first name],

I'm sorry [order number] hasn't reached you yet. The label was printed on [date], but [carrier] hasn't scanned the parcel, so I've asked them to trace it.

I'll have an answer by [time] on [date]. If they can't find it, I'll ship a replacement the same day at no cost to you.

Thanks,
[your name]

Parcel is lost and you are replacing it

Hi [first name],

I'm sorry [carrier] has confirmed your parcel is lost. I've shipped a replacement for [order number] today, and the new tracking link is [tracking link].

You don't need to do anything. If the original parcel turns up later, keep it or let me know and I'll arrange a collection.

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 caused a loss they want compensated.
  • A legal threat or a mention of a chargeback.
  • A delivery to a hospital, care home or event with a fixed date.
  • A third message from the same customer about the same parcel.

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