An item out of stock message to a customer goes out when someone has already ordered a dish the kitchen cannot make: the paneer ran out at 9 pm, the cake flavour is finished, the fish did not come in this morning. Restaurants, cloud kitchens, home bakers and tiffin services send it from the same WhatsApp chat the order came in on, before the kitchen starts on the rest. The one thing that makes it work is a choice the customer can answer in one word: a named substitute at a stated price, or a refund for that item. A vague "item not available, sorry" forces them into a conversation they did not want.
Send it within five minutes of the order, so a customer who would rather cancel can do it before anything is cooked. Name the missing item, offer one or two specific replacements with the price difference, and say what you will do if they do not reply in ten minutes. Never swap an item silently, even for something more expensive. A vegetarian who receives a chicken dish, or someone with an allergy who receives an ingredient they did not see, is a complaint you cannot undo. When the substitute costs less, refund the difference; when it costs more, consider absorbing it, since it was your stock that ran out. These are service messages about an order, so no opt-in or opt-out line is needed. If the whole order has to go, use the order cancelled messages instead.
One item out, choose a substitute (standard)
Hi [Name], sorry, [Item] from your order [Order ID] has just run out. We can send [Substitute 1] or [Substitute 2] instead at the same price, or refund ₹[Amount] for that item. Reply 1, 2 or REFUND. The rest of your order is being prepared.
नमस्ते [Name], माफ़ कीजिए, आपके order [Order ID] का [Item] अभी-अभी खत्म हो गया है। उसकी जगह same price पर [Substitute 1] या [Substitute 2] भेज सकते हैं, या उस item के ₹[Amount] refund कर देंगे। 1, 2 या REFUND लिखकर reply करें। बाकी order तैयार हो रहा है।Substitute costs more (you cover the difference)
Hi [Name], [Item] in order [Order ID] is finished for today. The closest dish we have is [Substitute], which is ₹[Difference] more. We are happy to send it at no extra cost. Reply YES to go ahead, or NO and we will refund ₹[Amount] for that item.
नमस्ते [Name], order [Order ID] का [Item] आज के लिए खत्म हो गया है। सबसे मिलती-जुलती dish [Substitute] है, जो ₹[Difference] ज़्यादा की है। हम इसे बिना extra charge के भेज देंगे। ठीक है तो YES लिखें, वरना NO, फिर हम उस item के ₹[Amount] refund कर देंगे।Substitute costs less (refund the difference)
Hi [Name], we are out of [Item] for order [Order ID]. We can send [Substitute] instead, which is ₹[Lower Price], and return the ₹[Difference] difference to your [Payment Method]. Reply YES for the swap, or REFUND to drop the item and get ₹[Amount] back.
नमस्ते [Name], order [Order ID] का [Item] हमारे पास खत्म है। उसकी जगह [Substitute] भेज सकते हैं, जो ₹[Lower Price] का है, और बचे हुए ₹[Difference] आपके [Payment Method] में वापस कर देंगे। swap के लिए YES लिखें, या item हटाकर ₹[Amount] वापस लेने के लिए REFUND लिखें।Size or variant not available (half, full, 500 g, 1 kg)
Hi [Name], the [Size] [Item] in order [Order ID] is not available right now, but the [Other Size] is. That changes your total to ₹[New Amount]. Reply YES for the [Other Size], or NO and we will remove the item and refund ₹[Amount].
नमस्ते [Name], order [Order ID] में [Size] [Item] अभी available नहीं है, पर [Other Size] है। इससे आपका total ₹[New Amount] हो जाएगा। [Other Size] चाहिए तो YES लिखें, वरना NO, हम item हटाकर ₹[Amount] refund कर देंगे।Most of the order is unavailable (offer to cancel)
Hi [Name], we are sorry. [Items] from order [Order ID] have run out, which is most of what you ordered. Rather than send half a meal, we can cancel the order with a full refund of ₹[Amount], or send [Available Items] for ₹[New Amount]. Reply CANCEL or SEND.
नमस्ते [Name], माफ़ी चाहते हैं। order [Order ID] के [Items] खत्म हो गए हैं, यानी आपके order का ज़्यादातर हिस्सा। आधा खाना भेजने से अच्छा है कि हम पूरा order cancel करके ₹[Amount] पूरे refund कर दें, या [Available Items] ₹[New Amount] में भेज दें। CANCEL या SEND लिखकर बताइए।No reply in ten minutes (item removed, refunded)
Hi [Name], we did not hear back about [Item] in order [Order ID], so we have removed it and refunded ₹[Amount] to your [Payment Method] rather than hold up the rest of your food. Your order leaves shortly and should reach you by [Time].
नमस्ते [Name], order [Order ID] के [Item] के बारे में आपका reply नहीं आया, तो बाकी खाना रोकने की बजाय हमने वो item हटा दिया है और ₹[Amount] आपके [Payment Method] में refund कर दिए हैं। आपका order थोड़ी देर में निकलेगा और [Time] तक पहुँच जाएगा।Cash on delivery order (item removed, new total)
Hi [Name], [Item] is not available today, so we have taken it off order [Order ID]. Your new total is ₹[New Amount], to be paid on delivery. Everything else reaches you by [Time]. If you want to add something in its place, reply in the next 5 minutes.
नमस्ते [Name], [Item] आज available नहीं है, इसलिए हमने उसे order [Order ID] से हटा दिया है। अब total ₹[New Amount] है, payment delivery पर। बाकी सब [Time] तक पहुँच जाएगा। उसकी जगह कुछ और add करना हो तो अगले 5 मिनट में reply करें।Pre-order or custom cake (ingredient not available, days ahead)
Hi [Name], about your order [Order ID] for [Date]: we cannot get [Ingredient] this week, so the [Item] cannot be made as ordered. We can make it with [Option 1] or [Option 2] at the same price, or refund your advance of ₹[Amount]. Please let us know by [Deadline].
नमस्ते [Name], [Date] वाले आपके order [Order ID] के बारे में: इस हफ्ते हमें [Ingredient] नहीं मिल पा रहा, इसलिए [Item] वैसा नहीं बन पाएगा जैसा order हुआ था। same price में [Option 1] या [Option 2] के साथ बना सकते हैं, या आपका ₹[Amount] advance वापस कर देंगे। [Deadline] तक बता दीजिए।Tiffin subscriber (today's dish changed)
Hi [Name], one change in today's tiffin: [Dish] is replaced with [Substitute] because [Reason]. Everything else in your [Meal] is the same and it arrives at the usual time. If you cannot eat [Substitute], reply by [Time] and we will skip today's meal and add it to your plan.
नमस्ते [Name], आज के tiffin में एक बदलाव है: [Reason] की वजह से [Dish] की जगह [Substitute] आएगा। [Meal] में बाकी सब same है और रोज़ के time पर पहुँचेगा। अगर आप [Substitute] नहीं खाते तो [Time] तक reply करें, हम आज का meal skip करके आपके plan में जोड़ देंगे।Dine-in table (dish finished for the evening)
Table [Table Number], sorry, [Item] has just run out in the kitchen and has been taken off your bill. Your server can suggest something similar, or you can pick another dish from the QR menu. The rest of order [Order ID] is being prepared.
Table [Table Number], माफ़ कीजिए, kitchen में [Item] अभी खत्म हो गया है और आपके bill से हटा दिया गया है। staff आपको कुछ मिलता-जुलता बता देंगे, या आप QR menu से दूसरी dish चुन सकते हैं। order [Order ID] का बाकी खाना बन रहा है।Back in stock (customer asked to be told)
Hi [Name], you asked us to tell you when [Item] was back. It is on the menu again from today, [Date], and fresh batches are ready from [Time]. Order on [Link] or reply here. We will not message you about it again.
नमस्ते [Name], आपने कहा था कि [Item] वापस आए तो बताएँ। आज [Date] से यह फिर menu पर है, fresh batch [Time] से मिलेगा। [Link] पर order करें या यहीं reply करें। इसके बारे में दोबारा message नहीं करेंगे।Tips for sending these on WhatsApp
- The cheapest out of stock message is the one you never send. Take an item off the menu the moment it runs out, so the bot and the store page stop selling it. Dishes you only make at certain hours can be handled by menu scheduling by weekday and time on Tezzu, which keeps them off the menu outside those hours.
- Keep a short list of agreed substitutes for your best sellers, veg for veg and same spice level, so the person on the number is not improvising in the middle of a rush.
- Use reply keywords such as 1, 2, REFUND or CANCEL. Whoever reads the reply can act on it in seconds without a back-and-forth.
- Refund to the same method the customer paid with, and say the amount. The refund processed messages cover the follow-up once the money has gone back.
- Note every item that runs out and when. If the same dish keeps running out on Fridays, the fix is in your prep and buying, which inventory management for small kitchens covers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell a customer that an item is out of stock?
Message them on WhatsApp as soon as you know, before the rest of the order is cooked. Name the item, apologise in one line, and offer a specific substitute with its price or a refund for that item. Ask for a one-word reply and say what you will do if they do not answer in ten minutes. Keep it in the same chat as the order so the customer has the full context.
Can a restaurant substitute an item without asking the customer?
It is a bad idea, even when the substitute is better. Customers may have dietary rules, allergies or simply a craving for that one dish, and a silent swap turns a small shortage into a complaint and often a refund anyway. If they do not reply in time, remove the item and refund it rather than guess. See how to reduce order errors for more on avoiding these mix-ups.
Should I offer a refund or a substitute when an item runs out?
Offer both and let the customer pick. Most will take a close substitute at the same price, especially when the rest of the meal is already cooking. If the missing item is the main dish, such as the biryani in a biryani order, offering to cancel the whole order with a full refund is usually kinder than sending only the sides.