5 Shipping Delay Email Templates That Any Business Can Use

Shipping delays are never fun, but they don’t have to spell doom for your business.

Being hit with delays is every business owner’s worst nightmare, and many of them panic as soon as they realize what’s happened. This can lead to impulsive refunding or ghosting your customers on the details about their order. In the end, no one’s happy.

With the right shipping delay email template, you can bring customers some reassurance while keeping them loyal to your brand. This can prevent profit cuts and cancellations that leave your company in the negative.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some shipping delay email example templates, as well as order delayed email copy you can modify to suit your brand.

Why Do Sending Out Shipping Delay Emails Matter?

No one gets into business with the intention of delaying orders, but it does happen. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, businesses were frantically trying to get orders to their customers, only to be stopped in their tracks by surges of packages and overwhelmed carriers.

Having an order delayed email ready to go will bring you peace of mind whenever delays arise. Instead of wondering how you’ll break the news, you can confidently inform your customer what’s going on while bringing them assurance.

This type of transparency helps build trust and loyalty. People may not be happy their shipment is late, but they will appreciate your honesty and responsiveness.

These shipping delay email examples will help you:

Apologize to customers for the delay.
Provide confidence that their products will arrive soon.
Take ownership and demonstrate accountability.
Provide solutions, e.g., access to customer support or updated tracking links.
Soften the blow with a freebie or perk, like a discount code.

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Now, let’s delve into the post and take a look at how exactly you can put these elements into practice.

Keep in mind that these templates are only examples, so you can freely edit them to suit your unique voice, style, and situation using Text Blaze

6 Free Shipping Delay Email Templates

Email 1: Formal and Professional

Formal And Professional Shipping Delay Template

Subject line: Shipping Delay Notice

Body: Dear {formtext: name=Kathy},

We regretfully inform you that your order ##### has been delayed.

Due to a shipping strike, your order’s delivery is delayed. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding.

We would like to further assist you with any questions you may have. You can contact our support team through our website or send an email directly by responding to this email.

Please refer to your order status page on our website for future updates. We will also send a confirmation email as soon as your order ships.

You can track your order using this updated tracking link: xxxxxxxx

Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to further assist you.

Warm regards,

Team Stark

Email 2: Lighthearted Shipping Delay Template

Lighthearted Shipping Delay Template

Subject line: Oops 😳 Your order has been delayed.

Hey {formtext: name=Alejandro},

We’re sorry to say that your package has been delayed, but don’t worry! We’ve got all the details you need right here.

Your new estimated delivery date for your {formdate:LL}.

Please stay tuned for future updates on your order. You can reach out to us at any time with questions.

We’re sorry about the inconvenience, but please know we’re doing everything we can to make sure your package arrives ASAP!

You can track the status of your delivery anytime using this updated link: [Insert tracking link URL].

Please let us know if there’s anything else we can do to help.

We appreciate your patience (and you!)

Jed Team Trinket Box

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Email 3: Apologetically Humble

Apologetically Humble Shipping Delay Template

Subject line: We’re Really Sorry About This

Body: Hello {formtext: name=Mia},

We value you, and we appreciate your business. That’s why we think it’s important to be transparent when there are problems in our shipping process.

Unfortunately, your order has been delayed due to an unexpected strike from our logistics partner, but we are doing everything we can to ensure you experience no further complications.

Your package will be arriving a little later than expected, but we’re here to answer any questions you have in the meantime.

Your new delivery date is {formdate:LL}.

What can you do next? Log onto our site and check your order status. Here, you can see the latest updates. You will also receive another email from us when your package ships, along with a tracking link.

You can reach out to our support team via email or give us a call at XXX-XXXX . If you have any questions or concerns, we’re here to help!

We apologize for the delay and any inconvenience this may have caused you. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help.

We appreciate you and your patience as we work on getting your package shipped ASAP!

Regards,

Kelly, Team Blisspoint

Email 4: Offering a Refund

Offering A Refund For Shipping Delay Email Template

Subject line: Something went wrong.

Hello {formtext: name=Chandler},

We’re always told to expect the unexpected, but we still didn’t see this one coming.

We’re sorry to inform you that your order has been delayed. You can stay posted on your order status using the tracking page: [insert link]. We’ll also email you when we have confirmed that your order has been shipped.

You can also reach out to our support team to request a refund. We completely understand if you would like to go this route, and we’re here to help every step of the way. Please contact our support team by responding to this email to request a complete refund on your order.

Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience. Please get in touch with us as soon as you can, we’ll do everything we can to make this right.

Regards,

Jay Pritchett’s Closets Company

Email 5: Sending an Apology Discount Code

Sending an Apology Discount Code Email Template

Subject line: Good things come to those who wait.

Body: Hi {formtext: name=Rajesh},

We have some good news and not-so-good news.

The not-so-good news is that your package has been delayed. You can now expect it to arrive {formdate:LL}. We’ll keep you fully updated on your order status page.

Now for the good news. We appreciate your business, and we are sorry that our shipping got in the way of you getting the awesome stuff you deserve.

So, we’d like to say thanks for your patience and understanding with a little discount code. Please use this for 20% off your next order. Use SORRY20 to apply your discount at checkout.

We just want to say that we really appreciate your patience and patronage. Thanks for sticking by us while we get this taken care of. We promise your package will arrive as soon as we can get it to you.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at support@dragoncart.com

Regards,

Leo Team Dragon Cart

Keep Your Audience in the Know

You can never go wrong being honest with your customers, even if they aren’t thrilled with the news you’re sharing.

Building a rapport with your consumers will help you build a loyal following and strong brand that people stick by, even when they’re faced with challenges like dreaded shipping delays.

We hope these templates will help you continue to keep an open line of communication with your audience. And as always, you can also customize your templates with Text Blaze to suit your company’s needs. Insert these templates as keyboard shortcuts and save hours (and hours) of your time! Get started for free today!