#39 Attending a Wedding｜Useful French Phrases
Izumi French Garden
#136 Changing the Delivery Time for a Parcel｜French Daily-Life Phrases
Izumi
Due to work or personal commitments, it is not uncommon to be unable to receive a parcel at the scheduled delivery time.
In such situations, it is important to explain your circumstances politely in French and clearly communicate your preferred delivery time.
In this article, I explain useful French expressions for requesting a change in delivery time when contacting a courier or customer service, along with key grammatical points.
Contents
Dialogue
Bonjour. Je vous appelle au sujet d’un colis que je dois recevoir aujourd’hui.
（Good morning. I am calling regarding a parcel that I am scheduled to receive today.）
Oui, je vous écoute.
（Yes, how may I help you?）
Il m’est difficile d’être présent cet après-midi. Serait-il possible de modifier le créneau de livraison ?
（It will be difficult for me to be at home this afternoon. Would it be possible to change the delivery time slot?）
Oui, bien sûr. Quel créneau vous conviendrait le mieux ?
（Yes, of course. Which time slot would suit you best?）
Demain matin, entre 9h et 11h, si possible.
（Tomorrow morning, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., if possible.）
D’accord. Je fais la modification tout de suite.
（All right. I will make the change right away.）
Merci beaucoup pour votre aide.
（Thank you very much for your assistance.）
1. Stating the Purpose of the Contact
When contacting a delivery company by phone or chat, it is important to clearly state the purpose of your inquiry at the beginning.
This helps the representative understand the situation quickly and respond efficiently.
Example
- Je vous appelle au sujet d’un colis que je dois recevoir aujourd’hui.
（I am calling regarding a parcel that I am scheduled to receive today.）
The phrase “au sujet de …” means “regarding” or “concerning” and is commonly used when starting an inquiry or explanation.
Related Expressions
- Je vous contacte concernant une livraison.
（I am contacting you regarding a delivery.） - J’ai une question concernant un colis.
（I have a question regarding a parcel.）
2. Explaining the Reason for the Change
Next, you should explain why you are unable to receive the parcel during the originally scheduled time.
Example
- Il m’est difficile d’être présent cet après-midi.
（It is difficult for me to be at home this afternoon.）
The structure “Il m’est difficile de …” is a formal way of saying “It is difficult for me to …” and is well suited to customer service situations.
Related Expressions
- Je ne serai pas chez moi à cette heure-là.
（I will not be at home at that time.） - Je ne pourrai pas être présent.
（I will not be able to be present.）
3. Requesting a Change to the Delivery Time
When making the main request, it is best to use a polite interrogative form.
Example
- Serait-il possible de modifier le créneau de livraison ?
（Would it be possible to change the delivery time slot?）
The expression “Serait-il possible de … ?” is a very polite way to make a request. The phrase “créneau de livraison” refers to the delivery time slot.
This structure is particularly useful when dealing with customer service representatives.
Related Expressions
- Puis-je changer l’horaire de livraison ?
（May I change the delivery time?） - Est-il possible de reprogrammer la livraison ?
（Is it possible to reschedule the delivery?）
4. Stating Your Preferred Delivery Time
If a change is possible, the next step is to specify your preferred time.
Example
- Demain matin, entre 9h et 11h, si possible.
（Tomorrow morning, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., if possible.）
You can specify a time range using “entre … et …”. Adding “si possible” (if possible) makes the request sound more courteous.
Time Expressions
- demain matin
（tomorrow morning） - en début d’après-midi
（early in the afternoon） - en fin de journée
（later in the day / toward the end of the day）
Summary
Key French Phrases
- Je vous appelle au sujet d’un colis …
→ Used to clearly state the purpose of a delivery-related inquiry. - Il m’est difficile d’être présent …
→ A polite way to explain that you cannot be at home. - Serait-il possible de modifier le créneau de livraison ?
→ A courteous expression for requesting a change in delivery time. - Demain matin / entre 9h et 11h / si possible
→ Useful phrases for stating your preferred delivery time.
