Lately, there’s been a lot that frustrates online shoppers, especially those waiting for parcels arriving from overseas. For example, this past peak season brought unprecedented challenges: tariff-induced customs backlogs and supply chain delays, alongside the usual sky-high level of customer expectations. To state the obvious, online shoppers have much to complain about. According to the latest researchfrom Asendia, 40% of shoppers cite customs as a major friction point. Meanwhile, returns remain problematic in cross-border transactions, with 16% of retailers globally refusing to accept international returns altogether.

Here's what most retailers miss: it's not the delay that loses the customer. It's the silence. It’s the discourteous, fumbled response when things go wrong. It’s the lack of reassurance when things aren’t going as planned.

The Real CX Battleground

US retailers and overseas retailers with American customers faced a unique convergence of pressures this peak season. Tariffs created customs gridlock, rippling through the entire supply chain. Would-be stock and e-commerce parcels sat in warehouses, awaiting clearance. Shoppers accustomed to three-day delivery suddenly wait two weeks! There was a genuine risk that holiday gifts wouldn’t make it to friends and family on time.

The temptation is to treat this purely as a logistics problem, only thinking internally about processes and systems. But truly, it's a customer experience problem. Recent research reveals where the pain lives. That 40% citing customs confusion? They're confused because nobody explained what to expect. The 16% of retailers refusing international returns altogether? That leaves customers stranded.

Customers can cope with delays. They should not be expected to be neglected and left in the dark. Many of the frustrations around cross-border shipping come from unclear customs procedures and unexpected paperwork.

So how can you help your customers? What’s clear is that the retailers who master this now will own a competitive advantage that lasts all year long.

Carriers are doing their part to find solutions, with some now offering Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) options that handle all customs formalities and prepay duties in advance for US deliveries, simplifying clearance and reducing friction for shoppers. These thoughtful fixes show customers that someone is looking out for them when it matters most.

Micromoments Matter More than Grand Gestures

Every retailer invests in their homepage, product photography, and checkout flow. But here's what actually builds loyalty: the confirmation email at 2 AM when someone's worried their order didn't go through. The error message that explains what happened and what to do next. The delivery notification that arrives before the customer starts wondering where their parcel is.

These micromoments are where trust truly lives. They're easy to overlook because they seem mundane, but they're what customers remember.

Think about your own experience. You probably don't remember the brands with the fanciest websites. You remember the ones that made you feel looked after when something went wrong. The company that texted you proactively about a delay. The retailer that sent a return label without making you beg for it!

Especially during peak season, when systems are strained and delays are inevitable, these micromoments become make-or-break moments. A proactive email saying "Your parcel is stuck in customs due to new tariff inspections; we expect it to clear within 3-5 business days" transforms anxiety into patience. Silence transforms patience into rage. As discussed recently in a conversation about mastering customer experience, when retailers can share real-time updates and explain delivery timelines before customers even think to ask, we've found that transparency, even about potential delays, builds far more trust than overpromising and underdelivering.

The confirmation email is particularly powerful. Most retailers treat it as a receipt. The smart ones treat it as reassurance. Tell customers what happens next, when they'll hear from you again, and what to do if something seems off.

Service Recovery Is Your Secret Weapon

Here’s the interesting part: excellent service recovery builds stronger loyalty than perfect service ever could.

When everything goes smoothly, customers think "that's what I paid for." When something goes wrong AND you fix it brilliantly, they think "this company actually cares about me."

My view is that good recovery has four essential elements. First, acknowledge the problem quickly. Ideally, this happens before the customer complains. Your systems can flag delayed parcels automatically and trigger communication.

Second, be transparent. The phrase "Your parcel is delayed because of increased customs inspections" provides customers with context. The message "Your parcel is delayed" causes them frustration.

Third, show real empathy. Understand that this affects their life. "We know you were counting on this arriving before the weekend" demonstrates you understand they're not just order number 847392.

Fourth, take action. Can you expedite a replacement? Offer a partial refund? Provide a return label? Consider what specific solution will demonstrate you're actively solving their problem.

Getting Practical: Your CX Checklist

As retailers invest in ever-more sophisticated CRM technologies and supply chain tracking systems, communicating with hard-won customers should become easier and more affordable. Here are a few suggestions for improving the customer experience as we head into 2026.

Set up communication triggers. Any parcel 24 hours past its delivery window should trigger an automatic email. The retailers who wait end up managing angry customers instead of concerned ones.

Be honest about tariff impacts. US customers understand tariffs are affecting deliveries. They don't understand vague language about "processing delays." Tell them customs is backlogged. Give realistic timeframes. Update them often, and especially when things change.

Empower your customer service team. Your frontline team needs authority to solve problems without escalating to three managers. If a parcel is genuinely lost, they should issue a refund or send a replacement immediately.

Track transparently. Make sure tracking is accurate and updated frequently. If a parcel sits in customs, say so. If it's on a truck for delivery, say so. Mystery breeds anxiety.

Simplify your returns process. Put a return label in every package. Include clear instructions. Make it possible to initiate a return from the order confirmation email.

Respect data privacy whilst using it wisely. Be transparent about how you'll use customer data. Then use it to make their lives easier, with text alerts about delays, delivery windows, and customs clearance.

The Bottom Line

The current parcel market will test every retailer and partner parcel carrier. Supply chains will strain. Delays are inevitable. Customs headaches will surely happen. But customers don't abandon brands because parcels arrive late.

They leave because brands go quiet. They leave because brands make excuses instead of offering solutions. They leave because brands treat real problems as annoying inconveniences rather than as opportunities to prove their worth.

The retailers who'll thrive understand something fundamental. Customer experience isn't what happens when everything goes right. It's what you do when things go wrong. That's where loyalty lives. That's where advocates are born.

Your parcels will be delayed; that's beyond your control. How do you respond to those delays? That's entirely up to you. Make it count.

Jeannie Walters is founder and CEO of Experience Investigators. She is an award-winning customer experience consultant, international speaker, author of Experience is Everything, and a trusted trainer for LinkedIn Learning and CXI Membership. To read more of the research referenced in this article, please visit www.asendia.com/beyond-borders.

This article originally appeared in the January/February, 2026 issue of PARCEL.