The tracking page says Delivered. The photo shows a cardboard box beside a blue doormat. Your customer sends one sentence that changes the whole conversation.
“My building doesn’t have a porch.”
Imagine getting that email while you’re packing another 40 holiday orders. Do you send a replacement? Open a carrier case? Ask the customer to wait? The photo gives you somewhere to start. The next move is yours.
Why this matters for holiday shipping in 2026
FedEx and UPS offer delivery photos on eligible shipments. The U.S. Postal Service has also been testing parcel delivery photos. The National Association of Letter Carriers reported that the USPS pilot began in February across 103 city routes. Check the tracking record for each shipment to see what evidence is available. FedEx picture proof of delivery · UPS tracking support · NALC report on the USPS pilot
Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation projects that U.S. holiday retail sales will rise 4.2% this year. If your store expects more orders, give your team a plan for missing packages before the rush. NRF 2026 holiday forecast
The first five minutes after “I didn’t get it”
Start with the label. Compare the address on the label you actually printed with the shipping address on the order. Check the apartment or suite number. If the order went out in two boxes, match each tracking number to its contents. The missing item may be in a second package.
Look at the photo with the customer. Ask whether they recognize the entrance, mat or lobby. A photo of an unfamiliar doorway gives the carrier a specific discrepancy to investigate. If the entrance looks right, ask about a mailroom, parcel locker or another person who may have collected it.
Open the carrier’s missing-package process when appropriate. Save the tracking number, delivery time, available photo and case number in the order record. Use the carrier’s instructions for that shipment. For example, USPS directs customers to submit a service request for eligible packages if they still can’t find them more than one postal business day after the delivery scan. USPS tracking status help · FedEx missing-package help · UPS claims
Give the customer a time for your next update. You can promise to check in tomorrow even if the carrier hasn’t resolved the case. If the order is a gift or needed for an event, ask for the date early. That can change whether a replacement would still help.
What to say in the first reply
I’m sorry your package hasn’t turned up. I’ll check the shipping label and the carrier’s delivery record. If there’s a delivery photo, could you tell me whether you recognize the spot shown? If you need the order by a certain date, please let me know. I’ll update you by tomorrow afternoon, even if the carrier is still looking into it.
Make the next missing order easier to trace
Give every parcel its own tracking entry, especially when you split an order. Keep the shipping label flat on one face, clear of seams and edges. Choose an outer package that protects the contents and is easy to describe if someone has to look for it. For compact products that need a rigid outer package, browse white corrugated shipping boxes. For soft or durable items that can travel in padded packaging, browse bubble mailers. For either, use shipping labels that fit the package face.
If tracking still shows the order is waiting for its first scan, see our guide to what “label created” tells you about a shipment.
Before your next holiday rush, pick one recent two-box order and see if someone who didn’t pack it can tell which items went in each parcel. If they have to ask, fix that gap now. When the next customer writes “That’s not my porch,” your team will know exactly where to start.
