How do I chase something that has gone quiet?
Chasing effectively without escalating too early — what to include, when to send it, and where to go when chasing stops working.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 20 min
- Read
- 3 min
Short answer
Reply on the original thread rather than starting a new one, include the reference number and the date of the first contact, and ask for one specific thing by a specific date. Keep it short and factual — a chase that reads as a complaint gets routed to a slower queue.
Most unanswered requests are not refusals; they are things that fell out of a queue. A chase works by making it as easy as possible for someone to find your case and act on it, which is mostly a matter of what you put in the message.
Step by step
- Check what was actually promised.Many organisations publish a response time — often eight weeks for a formal complaint, considerably shorter for routine requests. Chasing before that window closes rarely moves anything.
- Reply on the original thread.It carries the reference, the history and the timestamps. A fresh message gets a new case number and frequently goes to the back of the queue.
- Lead with the reference and the dates.Reference number, the date of the original request, and any dates you were given. Whoever picks it up may never have seen it before, and this is what lets them find it in seconds.
- State what you want in one sentence.One specific action, not a summary of your frustration. 'Please confirm whether the refund has been issued' is actionable; 'please look into this' is not.
- Give a date.Ask for a response by a specific reasonable date. It creates a marker for the next chase and is more effective than asking for something urgently.
- Keep it short and unemotional.Long messages get skimmed and angry ones get escalated to a different, slower process. Facts, dates, one request.
- Change channel if two chases fail.If email has produced nothing twice, try phone, and note the name and time of anyone you speak to. Public social media channels are frequently answered faster than the official ones.
- Escalate through the proper route.Ask for the complaints process by name. Most organisations have a formal one with defined timescales, and it is a different queue from general enquiries.
- Get a deadlock letter if you reach the end.Where an ombudsman or regulator covers the sector, they will usually only look at a case once the organisation has issued a final response, or eight weeks have passed. Ask for that final response explicitly.
- Keep a simple record throughout.Date, channel, who you spoke to, what was said. It takes seconds each time and is what makes an escalation credible.
Tips
- Forwarding the whole thread with one line at the top is usually better than summarising it — the summary loses the detail the case handler needs.
- Ask for the name of the person handling it. Cases with a named owner move noticeably faster.
- If you are told something will happen by a date, write it down and diarise a chase for the day after.
Questions people ask
How long should I wait before chasing?
Check whether a response time was published or promised — eight weeks is common for formal complaints, much less for routine requests. Chasing before that window closes rarely achieves anything.
What should a chasing email say?
The reference number, the date of the original request, one specific thing you want, and a date by which you want it. Reply on the original thread rather than starting a new one.