Online orders, deliveries and returns · RETAIL AND ONLINE SHOPS
Online orders go wrong: deliveries, returns and refunds.
‘Half our emails are ‘where’s my order’, and returns take forever.’
What Changes
The journey for online orders, deliveries and returns in a retail and online shops business. Today: 3 steps you do and 2 times it waits. With the fix: 1 and 0.
Today
- Waiting: A delivery fails and nobody notices.
- You: The customer emails “where’s my order”.
- You: Staff check the courier’s site by hand.
- You: A return arranged by email, back and forth.
- Waiting: Refund late, and a complaint.
- Steps You Do
- 3
- Times It Waits
- 2
With the Fix
- Runs on its own: Order and delivery updates go out on their own.
- Runs on its own: A failed delivery is spotted, and the customer hears first with their options.
- Runs on its own: The return is started online under your policy.
- You: Refunds above your limit come to you.
- Runs on its own: Refund goes through when the item is back.
- Steps You Do
- 1
- Times It Waits
- 0
- Order, dispatch and delivery updates go to the customer automatically.
- A delayed or failed delivery is spotted from the tracking, and the customer hears first, with their options.
- Customers start a return online. The label follows your policy, and the refund goes through when the item arrives back.
- “Where’s my order” and other simple questions are answered from the order record.
- Faulty-goods claims are logged with photos and sent to you to decide.
Illustrative example. Today: “Where’s my order [n]? It’s been [n] days.” Staff check the courier’s site by hand. After the fix: “Order [n] dispatched with [courier], due [date].” “Your delivery is delayed. [Courier] now says [date]. [Wait] [Refund]” “Return started. Label attached. Your refund of £[x] goes through when it arrives back.”.
Illustrative. Your business carries your own details.
What It Costs You
Citizens Advice took 17,744 clothing and footwear complaints in 2025, 82% about online orders; delivery made up 13% and returns 12%.
Source: Citizens Advice
What You Do
Sets the returns policy and approves any refund above £[x].
What It Runs On
Your online shop and the couriers you already use.
Agreed Before We Start
“Where’s my order” contacts, time to refund and delivery complaints, before and after.
What We Agree Before We Start
| Measure | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| “Where’s my order” contacts | ||
| Time to refund | ||
| Delivery complaints |
We fill this in with you before any work starts.
Questions Owners Ask
- Which online shop systems do you use?
- We plan around Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy and eBay. Tell us what you use.
- Who decides on refunds?
- You set an amount. Refunds above it come to you.
- What about faulty goods?
- Claims are logged with photos and sent to you to decide.
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