[B1] Food Delivery Problem

Hi everyone, it’s Jessica here. Welcome back to another episode of 5-Minute English Practice. Today, I want to share a very common situation that happens to almost everyone — ordering food, waiting for it excitedly, and then realizing something is missing. It’s frustrating, right? But it’s also a great chance to practice real customer-service English.

In this episode, you’ll hear a natural conversation between Lisa and a polite delivery man who accidentally brings an incomplete order. You’ll learn how to explain the problem, how to ask for a refund, and how to respond calmly and professionally. So let’s jump into the story and follow Lisa as she tries to solve this small but very real everyday problem.

It’s around 12:15 on a warm Wednesday afternoon when Lisa finally decides to order lunch. She’s been working all morning, her stomach is growling, and she wants something simple but satisfying. After scrolling through her delivery app for a few minutes, she chooses a rice bowl combo that comes with a drink and a dessert.

The restaurant is usually reliable, so she feels pretty confident everything will be fine. About thirty minutes later, she hears a knock at the door. She’s relieved—finally, lunch.

She opens the door, and a delivery man in a neat uniform smiles at her. His tone is friendly but professional.

Delivery Man: Good afternoon! Are you Lisa?

Lisa: Yes, that’s me. Thank you for bringing the order.

Delivery Man: Of course. Here you go. The restaurant packed everything tightly today, so it should still be warm. Before I leave, would you like to check the items just to make sure everything is correct?

Lisa: Sure, let me take a quick look. Hmm… okay, I see the main dish… I see the drink… but… I don’t see the dessert.

Delivery Man: Oh? The dessert is missing? Let me check the pickup slip. It says here your order includes the rice bowl combo and a chocolate mousse. Did they not pack it?

Lisa: I don’t think so. I’ve checked the whole bag. Maybe they forgot.

Delivery Man: I’m really sorry about that. The restaurant hands me the bag sealed, so I can’t see what’s inside unless the customer opens it. But let me double-check the bottom of the bag—sometimes small items get stuck there. No, you’re right. It’s definitely missing. I’m very sorry for the inconvenience.

Lisa: That’s okay. It happens. What should I do now?

Delivery Man: Since the restaurant didn’t give me the dessert, the fastest way is to request a refund in the app. I wish I could bring you the missing item right now, but unfortunately, the system doesn’t allow me to return to the restaurant for a single item unless it’s approved by the app first. But the good news is: the refund process is simple, and it usually gets approved within minutes.

Lisa: Okay. How do I do that?

Delivery Man: Let me guide you. Do you have your phone with you?

Lisa: Yes, right here.

Delivery Man: Great. Please open the delivery app and go to your most recent order. You should see a small button that says “Help” or “Report an issue.” When you tap that, you’ll see options like missing item, wrong item, and cold food. Since your dessert is missing, choose “Missing item.”

Lisa: Okay, I see it. Now it’s asking for a description.

Delivery Man: You can simply write: “The chocolate mousse was not included in the bag.” That’s enough. The system will match it with the restaurant ticket and approve your refund automatically.

Lisa: Done. It says the request is being reviewed.

Delivery Man: Perfect. You should receive a notification soon—usually under five minutes. You’ll either get a refund to your payment method or app credits you can use next time.

Lisa: Thank you. I really appreciate your help.

Delivery Man: Not at all. I’m sorry again that this happened. I know it’s disappointing when something you were looking forward to is missing—especially dessert.

Lisa: (laughs) Yes, I was looking forward to it! But thank you for being so helpful. You’ve been very kind.

Delivery Man: Thank you for saying that. I try my best. Before I go, could you please sign here on my screen? It confirms I delivered the order.

Lisa: Sure.

Delivery Man: Thank you. And if the refund takes longer than usual—very rare, but it can happen—you can reach out through the app’s live chat. They respond pretty quickly.

Lisa: Got it. Thank you so much.

Delivery Man: You’re welcome. I hope you enjoy your lunch, even without the dessert. Have a great day!

Lisa: You too! Take care.

When the door closes, Lisa sets her food on the table. She’s still a little sad about the missing dessert, but she feels surprisingly calm, mostly because the delivery man was patient and polite, and he guided her through the refund step by step.

A few minutes later, her phone vibrates. The app has approved her refund. She smiles—problem solved. Now she can finally enjoy her lunch and get back to work with a better mood.

And that’s the story for today.
I hope you noticed how both Lisa and the delivery man stayed calm, polite, and clear while talking. Real communication isn’t always perfect, and things don’t always go the way we expect—but how we speak, how we listen, and how we handle small problems can make everything feel easier.

If you want more stories like this—restaurant issues, hotel service, customer complaints, or friendly conversations with staff—just tell me. I’d be happy to create more for you.

Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.