Reply to a customer whose parcel is late
Who wrote it
Dina Barakeh runs a small online shop in Ramallah selling hand-embroidered goods. A customer in Canada writes that her gift has not moved for nine days.
The writer and every detail about them are fictional.
What went into the template
- The customer's message
- I ordered a cushion cover set on 2 October as a gift for my mother’s birthday on the 25th. The tracking hasn’t moved for nine days. This is really disappointing. Rana
- What you will do
- The parcel is held at customs in Toronto, which sometimes happens with handmade textiles; the courier expects to release it on Tuesday, delivery by 24 October
If it has not arrived by the 25th: a replacement by express at our cost, or a full refund, her choice
A printable birthday card with a photo of the design, emailed today - Tone
- Warm
The writer’s facts, as typed into the template’s form. The example uses nothing else.
The example
Reply to a customer: Customer service
Numbered notes in the margin explain each choice.
Hi Rana,
Greeting
I’m sorry your parcel hasn’t moved for nine days, especially with your mother’s birthday on the 25th1.
Her problem, named
Note 1: The reply repeats what matters most to her. That one detail shows her message was read.
I checked with the courier this morning.2 The parcel is being held at customs in Toronto, which sometimes happens with handmade textiles, and they expect to release it on Tuesday, with delivery by 24 October3.
Cause and new date
Note 2: Action before explanation. The customer learns that someone is already working on it.
Note 3: A date replaces worry with a plan.
If it hasn’t reached you by the 25th, just tell me and I’ll either send a replacement by express at our cost or refund you in full, whichever you prefer4.
A fallback she chooses
Note 4: Giving the customer the choice restores the control the delay took away.
In the meantime, I’ve emailed you a printable birthday card with a photo of the design5, so you have something to give on the day if the parcel is late.
A small gesture
Note 5: A small gesture that solves her real problem, a gift on the day, rather than a generic discount.
Warm regards,
Dina
Tatreez House
Structure
How it is built
Each part in order, with its share of the words.
Checklist
Before you send
Go through your own draft line by line.
Before and after
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Lines like these turn up in many drafts by Arabic speakers. Each fix keeps the meaning and changes only the English.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
I’m sorry your parcel hasn’t moved for nine days, especially with your mother’s birthday on the 25th.
It is not our fault, the courier is responsible for the delay.
I checked with the courier this morning. The parcel is being held at customs in Toronto.
We will try to solve the problem as soon as possible.
They expect to release it on Tuesday, with delivery by 24 October.
Questions people ask
How quickly should I reply to a customer complaint?
Within a day, and sooner if you can. If you need time to check, send a short first reply saying what you are checking and when you will write back.
Should I apologise if the problem was not our fault?
Apologise for the experience, once and specifically, as here. You can explain the cause without blaming anyone, and you do not need to apologise twice.
When should I offer a refund?
When it is fair and you can afford it, and ideally as one of two options, so the customer chooses. Offering it as a fallback, as here, shows confidence in the first solution.
Every writer in this library is fictional, and so is every detail about them. Universities and companies appear only as places someone applies to; the professors, papers and facts mentioned around them are invented for teaching. Use the examples to learn the moves, never as text to copy: committees notice, and your own facts are stronger.