Things go wrong in transit. How you handle it decides whether the customer returns.
THE COMMON PROBLEMS
The parcel is late The address was wrong or incomplete The customer was unreachable The item arrived damaged The customer says it never arrived
BEFORE IT HAPPENS
Collect a phone number at checkout and make it required Confirm unusual or high-value orders by phone before dispatch Record the courier and tracking reference in an order note Photograph fragile items as packed
WHEN IT HAPPENS
Reply quickly, even before you have the answer. Silence turns a delivery problem into a complaint about you. Find out what happened from the courier before promising anything.
Decide your position in advance: do you resend, refund, or wait for the courier's investigation? Deciding case by case under pressure produces inconsistency.
RECORDING IT
Keep notes on the order. Patterns tell you whether a particular courier or route is the problem.
A practical rule: for low-value items, resending immediately costs less than the argument.
