How to respond when the customer urges the delivery date or the supplier does not deliver in time?

Have you ever encountered stable customers who suddenly reduce their order volumes until one day they completely disappear without any contact?

The reasons for such customer disappearances are usually related to price or quality issues, and a significant portion of them can be attributed to suppliers failing to deliver on time.


 
There are numerous complaints on foreign forums regarding delayed deliveries by suppliers:
"Numerous Chinese suppliers disregard delivery schedules, prompting certain buyers to shift their business to other Asian countries.

I'm fed up with constant excuses for delayed shipping. I will give an opportunity to suppliers who may have slightly higher prices but are reliable and keep their promises."
 
In response to the challenges of customer deadlines and suppliers' failure to deliver on time, based on my own experience, I would like to share the following strategies:
 
1.Do not consider the customer's problem as your own problem
Let me illustrate this with a simple example. Suppose a US customer, Customer A, wants to customize a batch of canvas bags, and the normal production time for such a batch is 20 days. However, the customer requests delivery within 10 days. After calculation, the minimum time required from material preparation to production completion is 15 days.
 
From this example, it becomes evident that the 10-day delivery request is originally the customer's own problem. If you eagerly accept this order, you are essentially transferring this problem onto yourself. While we should strive to satisfy customer requests, it should be within the realm of feasible solutions.
 
If you reluctantly accept such an order but ultimately fail to deliver on time, you may face customer blame and even lose their trust, which is not worth the risk.
 
2.Be willing to take responsibility
There are many reasons for delivery delays, such as untimely supply of raw materials, frequent changes in production plans, delays in packaging preparations, inadequate quality control leading to rework, and inability to produce goods individually, among others.
 
When problems arise, the priority is to resolve them and inform the customer promptly, rather than waiting until the delivery deadline approaches or passes. Such delays only serve to further frustrate the customer.


 
How should we explain delivery delays to the customer? Here are five possible explanations:
 
1.The scarcity of raw material supply has resulted in a delayed delivery.
2.Summer power restrictions require staggered electricity usage.
3.Customs inspections have caused delays.
4.The molds are damaged, and we are in the process of replacing them.
5.Quality control identified barcode errors on the packaging, and we are in the process of redoing the packaging.  

The purpose of these explanations is not to seek forgiveness from the customer but to minimize their dissatisfaction. While using valid reasons, it is important to be straightforward and avoid vague expressions due to embarrassment, as foreigners may not understand implicit messages.
 
When communicating, you can start by saying:
"We are sorry to inform you that we are not able to finish them until Aug 20th (new delivery date). We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this."
 
You cannot simply inform the customer that there will be a delivery delay, as some customers do not appreciate vague timelines, and they may ask you for the exact time.
 
If the delay is caused by our own internal factors, we should be willing to take responsibility, actively communicate, propose remedial measures, and express sincerity.
 
3.How to avoid similar incidents
In fact, there are many methods to prevent delivery delays. For example, provide yourself with some flexibility in lead time during the quoting process. Request the factory to provide daily production output and allocate time for follow-up. Do not fully rely on the factory; if conditions permit, visit the factory regularly, take a few photos, and send them to the customer, which also helps maintain the customer relationship. Clearly communicate to the factory that the delivery is based on a letter of credit and must not be delayed, among other measures.
 
By implementing these measures, we can better address the challenges of customer deadlines and suppliers' failure to deliver on time, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the supply chain.