There are numerous reasons, why the order by the customer can not be delivered on time. The delay may not be intentional but may create unnecessary problems to a customer, which may even hamper his business or business relations with third parties. For example, you may be opening a new retail outlet for Apparels in the super market and ordered for the varieties apparel to the manufacturer. In the meantime, you printed inauguration cards and distributed among viable customers and your known people. But, suppose your ordered apparels do not reach you before retail outlet inauguration date, imagine, precarious situation, you will be put into, due to non arrival of the ordered materials.
Similarly, if you are a distributor of special cherry cookies and the local grocers places Cookies orders with you, which are required by him for Christmas. You also placed the order with the manufacturer, but, if the cookies do not reach you till the festival date, you along with the local grocer would be in precarious situation. You may spoil your cordial relation with your valued customer, i.e. local grocer. He will also be answerable to his local buyers, from whom he has taken order for cookies to be supplied during Christmas.
The delayed merchandize may not be intentional but may occur due to the unavoidable situations. The machine may have broken down, raw material to manufacture the ordered product did not reach on time, workers may have been on strike in your factory or there was shipping problems due to certain reasons. But, it is necessary to understand that such delays have chain reaction, affecting numerous people, who are depending on the ordered materials.
These reasons make it necessary that special care must be taken while handling the order of the customer. The orders placed by the customers must be handled in priority basis and if there is delay due to the unavoidable situations, you should immediately send an apology letter to the customer, citing the reason for the delay in dispatching of the goods.
If you are already facing shipping problem, not finding the ship for the specific location or ship is routed through another location and might reach the destination after the specific arrival date then, you should write a Delayed Order Apology Letter in advance, informing the customer about the reasons for the delay.
Such advance informative letter will help your customer in dealing with situations, caused by the delay in the shipment. If he has prior information, he may make an alternative arrangement for the specific date. Such promptly written apology letter will also help you in gaining the confidence and maintaining the cordial relation with your customer in future.
Below given Delayed Order Apology Letter template will guide you, when you write apology letter for the Delayed Merchandise to your valued customer:
Delayed Order Apology Letter
[Company Name]________________________
[Street Address]_________________________
City______________State______________ZIP Code___________
Date (dd/mm/year)_____________
Ref:_________________________(Subject – Delayed Order)
dated_______________
[Recipient Name]____________________________
[Street Address]_____________________________
City______________State______________ZIP Code___________
Dear _____________________[Recipient Name]
We are in receipt of your letter date________________ about the delay in receiving the cargo of your ordered _________(product) and thank you for informing us regarding the same. We apologize for the delay and inconvenience caused to you by delayed merchandize.
We would also like to bring to your kind attention, the fact that, due to uncertain political situations in the African coastal countries, all ship and cargos en route have been held up, till the situation in the border states are calmed down.
Please understand that, the delay in shipping and delivery was committed unintentionally but occurred due to unrest. Still, we understand about the precarious situation, you have been put into and take full responsibility for your inconvenience.
Meanwhile, we are contacting our liaison agent in Hong Kong to reroute your cargo and deliver it to you as soon as possible We are again very sorry for this incident and hope, you will bear with us for the unavoidable situation created by the political turmoil in the border states.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]________________
[Title]_____________________