# Make the next step clear after a failed delivery A driver marks a parcel undelivered, and the dispatcher must decide what happens next. Putting it back on a route without an instruction could repeat the same problem or create an unauthorised charge. This fictional example follows one failed attempt and a prepared case summary. The dispatcher uses it to decide how to proceed. Canonical: https://areinum.com/examples/failed-delivery-next-step/ Language: en Updated: 2026-10-31 ## Fictional example The owner's request: Summarise the failed delivery using our handling rules. Show my options, what is missing and a question I could use for the recipient. Information provided: - Fictional D-27: one failed attempt Tuesday at 14:20; driver recorded a locked entrance. A call attempt at 14:30 received no answer. No next instruction is recorded. - Fictional rules: retry by agreement or return to depot for review; a new charge needs an authorised decision. Example result: Status: undelivered after one attempt; next instruction open. Options: agree a retry or review a depot return. Missing: recipient's preferred time and any access instruction. A draft asks for those details. The next step: The dispatcher verifies the recipient, decides how to obtain the missing information and chooses a permitted disposition. Any new charge goes to the authorised person. ## Put the driver's note beside the status For fictional delivery D-27, the record shows one failed attempt on Tuesday at 14:20. The driver's note says the entrance was locked. A separate log records a call attempt at 14:30 with no answer. No next instruction is recorded. The note records what the driver reported. It does not say why the entrance was locked or when someone will be available. ## Show the permitted choices and missing information The owner's fictional rules allow a retry by agreement or a return to the depot for review. A new delivery charge requires an authorised decision. The summary can show both options while marking the recipient's preferred time and any access instruction as unknown. A prepared question could ask: “Your delivery could not be completed because the entrance was locked. What time would suit a further attempt, and is there an access instruction the driver should have?” The dispatcher checks the approved recipient and wording before using it. ## Choose a disposition before changing the route The dispatcher can seek the missing information, review whether a retry is appropriate, or decide on a return under the supplied rules. If a new charge is proposed, the person authorised by the business must decide it. The case stays open until an appropriate instruction is recorded. The summary prepares the decision; it does not book a new route or change the delivery status. ## Keep the attempt with the next instruction A later instruction should be kept with the failed attempt and its timestamp so the next dispatcher or driver can see why the case is being handled. If new information conflicts with the driver's note, the dispatcher can resolve it before committing to another attempt. ## Questions you may have ### Has a second delivery been scheduled? No. The example identifies a possible retry, but no agreement or route change is recorded. ### Does the locked entrance explain everything that happened? It is the driver's recorded reason for the failed attempt. The supplied information does not explain why the entrance was locked or when access will be available. ### Who decides whether to charge for a new attempt? The business's authorised person decides any new charge under the supplied rules. The summary presents the issue for that decision. ## Sources and further reading - [Effortlessly Reschedule Failed Delivery and Collection Orders](https://www.track-pod.com/blog/reschedule-failed-delivery-and-collection-orders/): Track-POD describes reviewing and rescheduling failed delivery orders in its own product. ## Related reading - [AI for local delivery businesses: review failed attempts and cash handovers](https://areinum.com/ai-for-local-delivery-businesses/) - [Review the next step before it affects someone else](https://areinum.com/product/decisions-and-control/) - [How to hand work over without losing the details](https://areinum.com/guides/hand-work-over-without-losing-details/) - [How to track a client inquiry across email and chat](https://areinum.com/guides/track-client-inquiry-across-channels/) Explore the demo: https://platform.areinum.com/ See how Areinum approaches this work. Demo access may need to be arranged.