A customer update during a business power outage
Describe which services are unavailable and whether customers should visit, wait, or contact you. Give a time for the next business update instead of treating an electricity restoration estimate as your reopening time.
Account for restarting the business
Even after electricity returns, equipment, stock, payment terminals, or the building may need checks before service resumes. Do not promise to open at a utility's estimated restoration time. Confirm operational readiness separately.
Use a brief reason without trying to diagnose the outage publicly. If your normal contact channel is unavailable, give a route you can actually monitor. Customers with existing orders need a clear next step, while new visitors need to know whether to travel.
Before you send
- Confirm whether you are closed or operating with named service limits.
- Choose a working contact route and next-update time.
- Check existing collections before offering pickup or refunds.
- Update the entrance notice and public pages from a working connection.
Message examples to adapt
These are original examples. Replace bracketed details and check every promise before using them.
Service stopped
Subject: [Business] service paused on [date]
A power outage has stopped service at our [location] on [date]. Please do not travel for [affected service] until we confirm reopening. We will share another update by [time]. Questions about existing orders: [working contact route].
Power back, checks underway
Subject: [Business] power restored; reopening update at [time]
Power has returned at [location], but we are completing checks before restarting [service]. We are not open for that service yet. We will confirm the opening plan by [time and date]. Existing collection questions can go to [contact].
Give a verified return-to-service notice
When ready, say which service is restored and whether hours or collections change. If one part remains unavailable, keep it explicit. A single ‘all fixed’ line can cause another wasted journey.
Review your contact arrangements after the incident. Keep a simple owner checklist with access to signup-list publishing, public notices, and outstanding-order contacts so the next disruption is easier to handle.
Common questions
Should I repeat the utility's restoration estimate?
If useful, attribute it and label it as an estimate, but do not equate it with your reopening. Your own service checks still matter.
Can the list reach everyone immediately?
No. Keep door information current and contact imminent bookings through their agreed routes as well.
Put this into practice
Maintain a shop-notice topic for interruptions and send confirmed restoration information when your service is ready.
KeepMPosted collects subscribers through a QR signup page and sends updates by email or Telegram using prepaid credits. Customers can choose the message types you offer. You write and send each update; SMS and scheduled sending are not available.