How to check a delivery properly (and actually get your credit notes)

A delivery arrives in the middle of service. Someone signs for it, the boxes go in the store room, and the invoice goes on the pile. A week later you notice you paid for a case of milk that never came. Sound familiar?

Short and damaged deliveries can create avoidable costs. A clear record helps you explain what happened and follow up with the supplier. Here’s a routine to use for each delivery.

1. Know what you ordered before it arrives

You can’t spot a short delivery if you don’t know what was meant to come. Keep a note of each order and the expected day, so whoever is on shift knows a delivery is due and what should be in it.

2. Check against the invoice, line by line

Before the driver leaves, or as soon as you can after, go down the invoice and mark every line as one of three things:

• OK: the right item and pack size, the right quantity, in acceptable condition
• Damaged: it arrived with an issue, such as split bags or broken jars
• Missing: it’s on the invoice but not in the delivery

Don’t pre-fill everything as OK and look for problems afterwards. Checking each line on its own is what catches the case of milk.

3. Photograph anything damaged

A photo taken at the door can make a claim easier to investigate. Get the item, the damage and, if you can, the label or delivery note in the same shot.

4. Check chilled and frozen goods first

Prioritise goods that need temperature control. Check and record them using your food safety plan’s agreed method, limits and corrective actions. Record the reading and decision for any goods rejected or set aside, and store accepted items promptly. Follow the supplier’s process for reporting the issue.

5. Chase the supplier the same day

Send the supplier a short message listing the missing and damaged lines, with photos and the invoice reference. Check their claim deadline and use the required contact or portal. Keep the issue open until the agreed credit or replacement turns up, so it doesn’t get forgotten.

Worked example: one missing case, from delivery to credit

Illustrative example: your order and invoice show 8 cases at £12 a case, but only 7 cases arrive and are accepted. Record all four quantities: ordered 8, invoiced 8, received 7, accepted 7. The discrepancy is 1 case and the credit requested is £12 before any relevant tax, discount or other invoice adjustment.

1. Keep the invoice reference, delivery date, line item and case size with the discrepancy.
2. Report the missing case to the supplier and record the claim reference and expected next step.
3. Leave “credit received” blank until a credit note arrives. Then record its reference and actual amount, and check that it is applied to the supplier account.

If the supplier sends a replacement instead, record when it arrives and close the issue on that basis. A requested credit is not recovered money, and replacements should not also be counted as cash credits.

How Unpickle handles it

In Unpickle you photograph the invoice and the items are read off it for you. Staff tap OK, Damaged or Missing on each line, attach photos where needed, and the delivery stays flagged until every problem is resolved. You can also see, supplier by supplier, how often deliveries arrive short.

See the delivery checking workflow for the product details. Our delivery issue benchmark explains the available figures, their method and their limitations; it is context for a conversation, not a prediction of your shop’s savings.

Curious how much short deliveries cost you? Try the savings calculator on our homepage, or start a free trial.