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Knowledge Base for Food Delivery Customer Service

Quick answers for agents handling late, missing, wrong and cold orders.

Make the scripts yours
Order is lateOrder problems

Customer contacts you because the order has not arrived within the estimated time.

  1. Open the live order status and see where the courier is and the latest ETA.
  2. Apologize and tell them the real ETA, not a guess.
  3. If the courier is stuck or unassigned, escalate to dispatch to reassign.
  4. If the delay passes your threshold, offer compensation per policy and record it.
Say this

I'm really sorry your order is late, [your name] from [your company] here. I can see it right now: [status and ETA]. Let me [action] so you get it as fast as possible.

Tip: Give the customer a concrete next update time, for example: "I'll check again in 10 minutes."

Missing itemOrder problems

The order arrived but something is not in the bag.

  1. Ask which item is missing and check it against the order.
  2. Apologize and confirm you will fix it.
  3. Refund or credit the missing item according to your policy (photo evidence if required).
  4. Log the restaurant and item so the partner can be given feedback.
Say this

I'm sorry about that. I can see [item] was on your order. I'll [refund/credit] it right away, and I'll make sure the restaurant is told.

Wrong order deliveredOrder problems

Customer received food that is not theirs or not what they ordered.

  1. Confirm the order number and what they received.
  2. Check whether the error is the restaurant's, the courier's or a mix-up.
  3. Offer a remake or a full refund, depending on your policy and time available.
  4. Tell them whether they need to return anything (usually not).
Say this

I'm sorry we got that wrong. Let's put it right. I can [send a new order / refund the full amount]. Which would you prefer?

Refund or credit: quick decision guideRefunds

You need to decide how to compensate, and who is responsible.

  1. Identify who caused the issue: restaurant, courier or platform.
  2. Check the customer's recent history for repeat patterns.
  3. Apply the matching policy: full refund, partial refund or credit.
  4. Document the reason and the decision so it can be reviewed.

Note: [Replace the thresholds with your own policy. The full version includes editable decision tables.]

Food arrived cold or poor qualityOrder problems

Customer is unhappy with temperature or quality.

  1. Apologize without arguing about whose fault it was.
  2. Ask what was wrong and, if your policy needs it, request a photo.
  3. Offer the appropriate compensation.
  4. Record the restaurant and issue for quality monitoring.
Say this

I'm sorry your meal wasn't what you expected. Thanks for telling us. I'd like to make it right, so could you tell me a bit more about what happened?

Allergy or food safety concernSafety

Customer reports an allergic reaction, possible contamination or foreign object. Always treat as high priority.

  1. Take it seriously and stay calm; do not speculate about the cause.
  2. If they describe serious symptoms, tell them to seek medical help immediately.
  3. Record the order, food item, what was found or eaten, and symptoms.
  4. Escalate straight away to your safety or quality team per procedure.
  5. Do not promise outcomes; confirm someone will follow up.
Say this

Thank you for telling us. Your health comes first. If you have any serious symptoms, please contact a doctor or emergency services now. I'm noting all the details and passing this to our safety team right away.

Tip: Never handle this as a normal refund case.

Want the complete version?

The full Food Delivery Knowledge Base gives your team clear procedures and fast lookup for the full range of order, refund and delivery situations, ready to adapt to your policies.

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