In my experience, the most effective approach when facing service delays is to prioritize proactive communication. I find it essential to acknowledge the issue promptly, provide realistic timelines for resolution, and offer alternative solutions whenever possible. Keeping customers informed with regular updates and personalized messages is crucial in maintaining their trust and satisfaction.

I would follow 3 steps: 1) Identify the root cause of the delays and attack it: nobody will wait for your answers if you are always late :) 2) Be kind and proactively communicate: notify customers about the delay immediately, providing clear and realistic follow-up timelines. 3) Offer Value: Provide compensatory perks or alternatives to demonstrate commitment to their experience.

When a customer reaches out with an issue, conveying the details of the problem they are facing, there are times you may feel that the issue can be resolved in X minutes or X hours, and you would share the update to the customer. However, on deeper investigation, you realize that the resolution is going to take longer. The best way forward is to let the customer know what you have investigated so far, the next steps, and outline any potential workaround that they may be able to use so as to not impact their business continuity. Additionally, keep them posted when you have concrete updates so that they know that their issue is being worked upon. This will show your commitment and will also improve the customer experience.