Handle delivery complaints quickly (and keep the customer)

The phone rings. A customer says the order is late, or the wrong item came, or the box was wet. Your first reaction is to defend the shop. But you do not yet know what happened, and the customer can hear it.

Complaints are not the end of a customer. Customers whose problem is solved quickly and politely often order again, sometimes more than before. What loses them is a slow, vague or defensive reply.

Here is a simple way to find out what happened and respond well.

Know what happened before you reply#

Before you call back, spend one minute on the facts. In the outlet portal, open Orders, search for the customer's name, phone number or order number, and open the order.

• The status tells you where the order is: Pending, Assigned, Picked up, On hold, Delivered, Undelivered or Cancelled.

• For a live order, the rider is shown with a Call rider button. Ask the rider what is happening.

• For an undelivered order, read the rider's reason. If none was given, the page says so.

• The tracking page shows what the customer sees, so you can talk about the same thing.

See track orders and check your order history for what each status means.

Right order to the right rider#

A wrong or mixed-up order is often a packing or handover mistake. Each assigned order shows the rider's name, so staff can check who the bag is for. Pack each order with a slip on top, and hand it to the rider named on the order.

If the rider app cannot confirm that the rider is at your shop, it asks for a short pickup code. Give it only to the rider standing at your counter with that order. See the pickup code guide.

A simple four-step reply#

1. 1

   Step 1: Listen and say sorry

   Let the customer finish. Then say "I am sorry this happened" before anything else. You can say sorry for the experience without blaming anyone.

2. 2

   Step 2: Say what you found

   Tell the customer what you know from the order: "I can see your order is with the rider and on its way to you." Keep it short and honest. If you do not know yet, say you will find out and call back at a set time.

3. 3

   Step 3: Offer a fix

   Decide what you can do: send a replacement, refund the item, or give a small credit on the next order. Offer the fix before the customer asks for it.

4. 4

   Step 4: Follow up

   If you said you would call back, call back at the time you said. A day later, a short message asking if everything is fine often turns the customer into a regular.

Find the pattern behind repeated complaints#

One complaint is a problem to solve. The same complaint three times is a pattern. Once a week, write down every complaint and its cause:

Frequently asked questions#

Next time a complaint comes, look at the order first, then call. And keep a weekly list so the same complaint does not come back.

Start free

Talk to us