Automatically Email Your Customers About Out-of-Stock Items
Published July 3, 2024
Unfortunately, it happens to the best of us.
Your customer has spent hours looking for a specific product, scouring Google high and low, and they've finally come to your Shopify store because you're offering it at the lowest price.
There's a catch, however—you no longer have it in stock.
Some merchants choose to continue selling when out of stock in Shopify, and others hide their out-of-stock variants. Whether it's part of a strategy or an unhappy occurrence, you must contact the customer.
Here are some of the best practices and main considerations when attempting to write an out-of-stock email to your client.
How to Craft an Out-of-Stock Email to a Customer
As soon as your customer has tried to buy a product from you that's out of stock, you should send them an email explaining the situation:
- Apologize for the inconvenience caused and tell them why it has happened (perhaps there's a delay in delivery), but don't give them excuses.
- Recommend a collection of related products that might satisfy them enough to buy, but don't be disappointed if they choose not to go with one of them.
- Include a way for them to reach customer service through an email address, a phone number, or both.
- Add a reason for them to shop with you again, like a coupon or a free item with their order.
Make sure to send a follow-up email to your customer the moment you have the product back in stock.
How to Send Automatic Out-of-Stock Emails
You could manually set up a back-in-stock notification form where your clients fill in a few details, and Shopify automatically notifies them when the products are back in stock.
Alternatively, there are various apps available. A recommended app in the Shopify app store is Out-of-Stock Police by Egnition. Able to fully integrate with Shopify, there are various packages available to suit your needs best.
» Read the following Out-of-Stock Police review to learn more about this handy app
Keep Your Customers Easily Informed
It's easy for you to inform your customers about out-of-stock items via email. The only difficult part is choosing whether to use an app or set it up manually.
