What you'll get: a five-text delivery sequence (booking confirmation, prep checklist, day-before reminder, on-the-way, and thank-you), plus tips for automating it.
Do this today in 10 minutes
1. Pull up tomorrow's delivery list.
2. Send each customer the day-before reminder below, by hand or from your POS.
3. Ask your driver to send the on-the-way text before each stop. Count the "where's my truck?" calls you don't get.
A wasted delivery is expensive: two people, a truck, fuel and a slot you can't get back, all because nobody was home or the old fridge was still in the doorway. Then there are the calls: "What time are you coming?" "Is it still today?"
Clear, friendly texts fix most of this. Customers like knowing what's happening, and your drivers like doors that open.
How it works
At the sale: confirm the date and window in writing.
A few days before: send a prep checklist.
The day before: remind them, and let them confirm or reschedule by reply.
On delivery day: text when the truck is on its way.
After: say thanks and ask how it went.
A quick word on the rules (not legal advice): These texts are about an order the customer already placed, so keep them purely about the delivery. Once you add a sales pitch ("Add a mattress protector for 20% off!"), it becomes a marketing message, and CASL in Canada and the TCPA in the US come into play. Either way, identify your store, ask "OK to text you about your delivery?" at the counter, and honour STOP.
Copy-paste delivery texts
1. Booking confirmation (at the sale)Hi [Name], it's [Store]. Your [product] is booked for delivery on [day, date] between [time window]. We'll text a reminder the day before. Questions? Reply here. Reply STOP to opt out.
2. Prep checklist (2–3 days before)Hi [Name], getting ready for your [product] delivery on [date]! A few quick things: - Measure doorways and stairs: the [product] needs [width] clearance. - Clear a path and the spot where it's going. - [Appliances] Water/gas shut-off accessible; old unit emptied and unplugged. - [Mattress] Old mattress stripped if we're hauling it away. Need to change the date? Just reply. – [Store]
3. Day-before reminder (the big one)Hi [Name], reminder from [Store]: your [product] arrives tomorrow, [date], between [window]. Reply 1 to confirm, 2 to reschedule. Someone 18+ needs to be home. Reply STOP to opt out.
4. On-the-way text (from the driver or dispatch)Hi [Name], [Driver] from [Store] here. We're on our way with your [product] and should arrive in about [X] minutes. See you soon!
5. Thank-you and review request (same evening or next day)Hi [Name], thanks for choosing [Store]! Is everything set up the way you wanted? If anything's not right, reply here and we'll fix it. If you're happy, a quick Google review helps a small local store a lot: [review link]. Reply STOP to opt out.
Asking right after a good delivery works. BrightLocal found 83% of people who were asked for a review left one (source). See Get more Google reviews and reply to every one in seconds.
Handling replies
"1" or "yes": mark it confirmed. No need to answer.
"2" or "can we change it?": a person calls or texts back the same day with two new options.
No reply by noon: a quick phone call. That's the delivery most likely to fail.
Let AI tailor the texts
Rewrite these 5 delivery texts for [Store], a [furniture/appliance/mattress/electronics] store in [town]. Our delivery windows are [e.g. 4 hours], we [do/don't] offer haul-away, and installs include [details]. Keep each under 300 characters, friendly and plain. Add one prep tip that matters for [product type]. Keep the placeholders in [brackets].
Make it automatic
Check your POS first. Many delivery and dispatch modules can send reminders. They're often just switched off.
Delivery-focused tools. Package.ai focuses on delivery scheduling and tracking for furniture and appliance stores. All-in-one messaging tools like Podium can also send scheduled texts.
Helpful links
More quick wins: Start here: 10 AI quick wins for independent dealers
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