A failed delivery is any attempt that doesn't complete as planned-customer unavailable, access issue, refusal, or partial completion. Well-run furniture, appliance, and retail fleets target a failed delivery rate under 5%, and most of the gap between 5% and 15% comes from communication and planning, not driver performance.
How to measure it consistently
Failed delivery rate = failed attempts ÷ total attempts, segmented by reason code. Without standardized reason codes, the number is just noise. Track it by store, crew, and SKU so you can see where the failures concentrate.
Benchmark ranges to orient on
- Under 5% - strong execution with proactive notifications and honest windows
- 5–10% - typical for teams still relying on wide windows or weak comms
- Over 10% - usually a communication and planning problem, not a driver problem
These are directional operating targets, not industry-certified figures-validate against your own baseline before setting goals.
The biggest levers
- Proactive, accurate notifications. Most "customer not available" failures are really "customer not warned."
- Honest windows. A window the route can keep beats an optimistic one that breaks trust.
- Access notes. Stairs, gates, and parking captured up front prevent surprises.
- Fast reschedule workflows. A failure handled cleanly costs far less than one that lingers.
Operator takeaway
Treat failed deliveries as a measurable, fixable rate-not bad luck. Standardize reason codes, attack the communication levers first, and review by store. Start with retail delivery management and customer notifications.