When you’re expecting a package or another kind of delivery, you’ll want to be certain that you’ll be available to receive it.
But what if you don’t know the expected delivery date?
Since most businesses are well aware that their customers want to know the delivery dates you don’t have to pay extra attention to how you ask for delivery dates. Focus on getting in contact with the appropriate department and ask them for the shipping details of your order number.
Ask the Right Person
It’s important to speak to the right individual when you want information on your delivery. If you’re talking to a person on the phone or face to face, they may pause if they can’t give you a concrete answer to any of your questions.
You could ask:
“Do you know when the package is expected to be delivered?”
“Do you know when the item is expected to arrive?”
“Can you provide information on the expected delivery date of my order?”
If the answer to any of the questions above is no, you’ll need to be put in touch with someone who can help you.
Ask to be transferred to the appropriate department.
You could also ask for the contact information of the customer representative who can update you on the status of your delivery.
No Explanation Required
When you’re asking for the delivery date, you don’t have to give an explanation.
Most companies already are aware that customers need a delivery date for the items that they purchase.
Sometimes this information is hard to find on their website. It may also be given for a region instead of a specific location.
When you want the delivery date for a product that’s coming to your address, you’ll get more information if you talk to a customer care representative directly.
Personal Deliveries
When you ask about a delivery that’s sent by a company that you’re doing business with, you’re likely to be a bit formal.
If a friend or family member is sending something to you, you might ask for the delivery date in a more relaxed way.
For example, they may be arranging to send you flowers on your birthday and you may want to know when they’ll arrive. If you’re getting a gift and are speaking directly to the giver, here’s how you can ask about the date that you can expect your present:
“Thank you so much! When can I expect it?”
“I’m looking forward to it. When will it get here?”
“I appreciate it. When will it be delivered?”
Expressing thanks for the item while you ask about delivery lets the giver know that you’re looking forward to receiving it.
Be Direct
If you need to ask for the delivery date so that you can properly schedule your activities, ask for the information directly.
Be clear that you want to know the date on which the package will arrive at your home or business place.
Ensure that you’re asking the right person for that information. Sometimes you may inadvertently ask someone who doesn’t know and can’t tell you. You should ask them to let you talk to someone who knows.
Whether by email or when talking to a customer service representative face to face, you can say:
“Kindly let me know when this will be delivered.”
“Kindly tell me when the package will be delivered.”
“Could you let me know the delivery date? Thanks in advance.”
“When will the package arrive at my door?”
The delivery sector is constantly adapting to the needs of consumers. Asking about the date for delivery reminds companies that it’s important to you as a consumer to get your goods quickly.
It encourages them to develop tools such as apps for personalized grocery shipping. These make it easier to order items and track the progress of your delivery. In most cases, you can get an estimated date of delivery that’s fairly accurate.
Ask for An Exact Day
You can plan more easily if you know the exact day of delivery. Ask for that when you’re making arrangements to have a product sent to your house.
According to Convey’s 2018 Last-Mile Delivery Report, 51% of consumers expect a refund if their delivery arrives late. You won’t know whether your package is late or not if you don’t ask about the date of delivery beforehand.
You can also check the policies of the store, regarding deliveries that come after the date. Some stores will attempt to deliver the item again, with no additional fees charged for delivery.
You could say:
“What day should I expect it?”
“What day will the package arrive?”
“Do you know which day I’ll get it?”
You should be told whether it’s a Monday or a Thursday and be able to adjust your work plans accordingly if you find that’s necessary. Sometimes, when you’re told what day your item will be delivered, you’ll find that it’s not what you expected.
A courier company may be planning a delivery day that’s on the weekend because they assume that you’ll be home. However, you may typically have plans for the weekend that take you away from the location on the arrival date.
In that case, you could ask the courier company to change the date of delivery. You could do this verbally or via a letter that documents your request.
You should always ask directly for a change and state the dates that are better for you.
You could say:
“The suggested delivery date is inconvenient for me. I am requesting a change to X date.”
“Let me know if this can be delivered on the 10th instead. Thanks for your consideration.”
“No one will be available to receive the package on the 14th. Can the delivery date be changed to the 17th?”
“Is it possible to change the delivery date to the 17th?”
Ask for A Range
Sometimes a package may be shipped to you from some distance away. For example, you may live in the United States but you want chocolate that’s shipped from Ghana.
That package has to go through several intermediaries. At every stage, there’s the potential for delays. Although these may each be minor, when taken together, they could result in a difference of two days, with respect to your delivery date.
If you know that is difficult to predict the exact date, you could ask for a range.
This gives the person making the delivery more room to work with.
You could say:
“What’s the earliest and latest date that my delivery could arrive?”
“Could you give a range for when my package is likely to arrive?”
“Could you give me an approximate period in which my package will be delivered?’
Ask for the Length of Time Required for Delivery
You may want to ask for the delivery date by asking about the time it would take for a package to get to you. Some people may feel more comfortable asking the question in that way.
If so, you could say:
“How long will it take for the item to arrive?”
“How long will the product take to arrive?”
“How long does it take to arrive?”
“How long will it take to ship it directly to me?”
“How long will it take to deliver this package? “
Don’t assume that you know how long it will take to get an item delivered to you.
Don’t feel bad about asking. In some cases, the shipper may not have the same ideas about standard shipping that you do.
Retail Touchpoints says that 63% of consumers expect a standard delivery to take place within three days. Despite that, the store that’s delivering what you ordered may typically take five days for deliveries such as yours.
When You Urgently Need a Package
Sometimes you may ask about the delivery date because you need a package as soon as you can get it. You actually want the courier to understand that you’re asking because you want it quickly.
You can convey a sense of urgency with your question while remaining polite.
You may want to consider asking for the delivery date in one of these ways:
“Hi. I need this soon. When can I expect it?”
“How soon could I possibly get this?”
“How soon can I have this delivered to my home?”
“How quickly could I receive this?”
“What’s the earliest possible date on which this could be delivered?”
Whether they need it urgently or the delivery date won’t have a monumental impact, most people experience some degree of anxiety as they wait for a package to arrive. They feel impatient and nervous, frequently glancing at their front door for any sign of the courier driver when they receive audible cues that they may be nearby.
Due to the Endowment Effect, when you make a purchase online, you understand that you own it, although you don’t physically have it. You may start to visualize all the ways in which you expect it to make your life better. The gap between when you purchased the item and when it’s delivered to you, raises your anxiety.
Sophie Hammond is a journalist, psychologist, and freelance speechwriter for people in politics and business. She lives on the edge of the Rocky Mountains with her dog and a lifetime supply of books. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through nature or journaling at a coffee shop.
