Special orders are good business for furniture and mattress stores. Customers get exactly the fabric, finish and configuration they want, and you avoid carrying every variation in stock. But special orders also create a long gap between payment and delivery, and that gap is where anxiety, status calls and missed deliveries come from.
This guide explains how furniture stores can keep special order customers informed, reduce where is my order calls and missed deliveries, and use the experience to earn reviews and repeat business.
Why special orders generate so many calls
- Long lead times. Custom upholstery and imported pieces can take many weeks.
- Vague timelines. Customers are told six to ten weeks and then hear nothing.
- Changing dates. Supplier delays happen, and customers often hear about them late or not at all.
- Delivery uncertainty. Customers do not know when to expect the delivery call or what the window will be.
Each of these leads to phone calls, and each call pulls a salesperson away from customers in the showroom.
Step 1: Set clear expectations at the sale
At the point of sale, give the customer:
- A realistic delivery window.
- An explanation of how updates will work, for example we will text you when your order ships from the manufacturer and again when it arrives at our warehouse.
- A single place to check status or ask questions.
Clear expectations at the start remove a large share of later anxiety.
Step 2: Send proactive updates at each milestone
The most effective way to stop status calls is to answer the question before it is asked. Useful milestones include:
- Order confirmed with the manufacturer, with an estimated ship date.
- Order shipped from the manufacturer.
- Order received at your warehouse and inspected.
- Delivery scheduling invitation.
If dates change, tell the customer immediately and explain the new timeline. Customers are far more forgiving of delays they hear about early.
Step 3: Let customers choose delivery windows
Once the order arrives, send a link that lets the customer pick from available delivery windows. The day before, send a confirmation with the time window and preparation tips, such as measuring doorways and clearing a path. On the day, an on my way text from the delivery team helps make sure someone is home.
Missed deliveries are expensive. Confirmed windows with easy rescheduling prevent most of them.
Step 4: Make service and warranty claims simple
When something arrives damaged or a warranty issue appears, customers want a quick, clear process. A simple form that captures the order number, photos and a description, and routes the claim to the right person, is far better than scattered emails and calls. Automatic acknowledgements and status updates reassure the customer that the issue is being handled.
Step 5: Ask for a review after delivery
BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 found that 97 percent of consumers read reviews for local businesses, and 31 percent will only use businesses rated 4.5 stars or higher. A short review request a few days after delivery, when the customer has enjoyed their new furniture, helps build the steady flow of positive reviews that brings new shoppers in.
Step 6: Follow up with showroom browsers
Many furniture shoppers visit more than once before buying. Giving browsers a simple way to save items, such as scanning a QR code on the tag or texting your number, lets you follow up with photos, fabric options and availability. This turns will think about it into a real conversation.
Step 7: Bring customers back for the next room
A customer who furnished their living room may need a dining set or bedroom furniture next year. Relevant, occasional messages based on what they bought, such as care reminders, complementary pieces and seasonal events, keep your store in mind when they are ready.
How automation handles it
A furniture store workflow might look like this:
- Sale completed: confirmation with expected timeline.
- Supplier confirmation or ship date received: customer update.
- Order received at warehouse: delivery scheduling link.
- Day before delivery: confirmation and preparation tips.
- Delivered: thank you and review request a few days later.
- Months later: relevant offers for other rooms.
Where your POS or supplier provides status information, updates can be triggered automatically. See our furniture store automation page for the full system.
An example: a special order sofa
- Day 1: a customer orders a custom sofa. They receive a confirmation with the expected delivery window and an explanation of the updates they will receive.
- Day 4: the manufacturer confirms the order. The customer receives the estimated ship date.
- Week 6: the manufacturer reports a two-week delay. The customer is told immediately, with the new estimated date and an apology.
- Week 9: the sofa arrives at the warehouse and is inspected. The customer receives a link to choose a delivery window.
- Day before delivery: a confirmation with a reminder to measure doorways and clear a path.
- Delivery day: an on my way text from the driver.
- Three days later: a thank you message and a review request.
The customer never has to call to ask where their sofa is, and the delay is handled with honesty rather than silence.
Common mistakes
- Promising optimistic timelines to close the sale, then going quiet when they slip.
- Only communicating when the customer calls.
- Calling to schedule deliveries instead of offering a self-serve link.
- Treating the sale as the end of the relationship.
What to measure
- Status calls per week. This should fall noticeably.
- Missed or failed deliveries.
- Reviews per delivered order.
- Repeat purchase rate within 12 to 24 months.
Common questions
What if our supplier does not provide tracking?
You can still send updates at the milestones you do control, such as order placed, received at the warehouse and delivery scheduled. Even a few proactive updates reduce calls significantly.
Should updates be by text or email?
Text for time-sensitive updates such as delivery windows, and email for longer information. Most customers prefer texts for status updates.
Will customers opt in to marketing messages after purchase?
Many will if you ask clearly and keep messages relevant and infrequent. Always make it easy to opt out.
The bottom line
Special orders do not have to mean weeks of anxious calls. Clear expectations, proactive milestone updates, easy delivery scheduling and a simple claims process give customers confidence and free your team to sell.
Want this running in your store? Book a free strategy call.
Sources
