Maintain Cordial Business Relationship with Apology for Shipping Problem Letter

There are numerous reasons, why a carrier fails to deliver the shipment 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 the shipment of 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. 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 delay in shipment may not be intentional but may occur due to the unavoidable situations. But it is necessary to understand that such delay in shipment has chain reaction, affecting numerous people, who are depending on the shipments.

These reasons make it necessary that special care must be taken while sending the shipments and once the complaint about the shipping delay is received, you should enquire for the delay on your side and promptly send an apology letter to the customer, citing the reason for the delay in delivery of the cargo.

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 an Apology for Shipping Problem Letter 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 Apology for Shipping Problem Letter template will guide you, when you write apology letter for the shipment delay to your valued customer:

Apology for Shipping Problem Letter template

[Company Name]________________________

[Street Address]_________________________

City_______________State ____________ZIP Code____________

Date (dd/mm/year)_____________

Ref: __________________________(Subject – Shipment delay)

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 _________(product)  and thank you for informing us regarding the same. We apologize for the delay and inconvenience caused to you by non arrival of the shipment.

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]____________________