A supplier chase should ask for a revised delivery date, not for a reason. Reasons are unactionable and invite a defensive reply; a date lets you decide what to do about cover, campaigns and customers. Send three, tied to the confirmed date rather than to whenever somebody remembers: unacknowledged after three working days, a week before the date, and the day after it passes.
When to use it
Use these on any purchase order where running late would cost you something. In practice that is most of them once a line is selling.
The one that pays is the second. A supplier who is going to be late usually knows a week beforehand and will say so if asked, which converts a stockout you discovered into one you managed. Most stores only ever send the third.
The template
Three short emails. Keep them boring and identical each time, so sending them becomes routine rather than a decision.
1. NOT ACKNOWLEDGED (3 working days after sending) Subject: PO [number] - please confirm Hi [name], Sending PO [number] on [date] for [item summary]. Could you confirm you have it, and the delivery date you are working to? If anything on it is unclear, tell me and I will resend. Thanks, [you] 2. RECONFIRM (7 days before the confirmed date) Subject: PO [number] - still on for [date]? Hi [name], PO [number] is down for [date]. Is that still right? If it has moved, I would rather know now than on the day: I have [stock cover / a campaign / customer orders] depending on it. Thanks, [you] 3. OVERDUE (1 working day after the date) Subject: PO [number] - revised date please Hi [name], PO [number] was due [date] and has not arrived. What date are you working to now? A firm date is more useful to me than an estimate, even if it is further out than I would like. If part of it can ship now, I will take a partial delivery. Thanks, [you]
How to adapt it
- Name the dependency in email 2. "A campaign depends on this" gets a different answer from a generic chase, and it is true.
- Offer the partial in email 3. It frequently unlocks half the order immediately and costs you nothing to offer.
- Do not escalate tone across the three. Escalating tone on a first late delivery spends a relationship you will need again.
- Add your PO reference to every subject line. It is what makes the thread findable later and matchable to the invoice.
Why it is this short
Chases fail because they ask for the wrong thing. "Where is my order" invites an explanation, and an explanation does not tell you whether to pause an ad set.
They also fail because they depend on somebody remembering. Tying all three to the confirmed date makes them happen in busy weeks, which is exactly when they matter.
Common questions
When should I chase a supplier?
Three times, all tied to the confirmed date: three working days after sending if it is unacknowledged, a week before the date, and the day after it passes.
What should a chase email ask for?
A revised date. Reasons are unactionable and invite a defensive reply. A date lets you decide about stock cover, campaigns and customer communication.
Is chasing before the due date too pushy?
No, and it is the most valuable of the three. A supplier who will be late usually knows a week ahead and will tell you if asked, which is the difference between managing a shortfall and discovering it.