Delays
Telling a Client About a Delay Without Saying Sorry
Published September 20, 2026
Telling a Client About a Delay Without Saying SorryWatch on YouTube, 0:33Sep 20, 2026VideoScriptPractice sheetKnow Exactly What to Say
The full script is below, word for word, for when the schedule slips and the client needs to hear it from you. Copy it, change the names and dates, and it is ready to send or say.
Practice It Before the Real Conversation
A printable PDF. Say the lines out loud, then fill in your own project's names and dates, so the words are yours before the client is on the line.
Download the practice sheet (PDF)How to Use a Script
Four steps:
- Watch the video once.
- Copy the script. Change the names, dates, and numbers to match your project.
- Say it out loud until it sounds like you. Use the practice sheet if the page has one.
- Use it in the real conversation, in the email or on the call.
The Script
Word for word, as said in the video. Copy it and change the names, dates, and numbers to match your project.
ScriptTelling a Client About a Delay Without Saying Sorry
Quick update on the site survey deliverables. The soil analysis report came in four days late from the lab, which shifted our grading design by the same amount. Revised delivery for grading drawings is now April 22nd instead of April 18th.
The overall construction start date is unchanged because we built contingency into the next phase. I will send the updated schedule by end of day tomorrow. If this creates any issues on your side, let me know today so we can plan around it.
Free script pack
Get the Free Delays Script Pack
The next conversation will not sound like this one. The free Delays pack gives you five more scripts for when the schedule slips and the client needs to hear it from you, each in friendly, neutral, and firm versions, so the right words are ready before you need them.
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