Customer service · Plain-English guide

What does “Resolution timeframe” mean?

The period in which a problem is expected to be resolved; check whether it is a target or a promise.

“A date for news is not always a date for a fix.” — Arthur

What it means in practice

This is an expected period for fixing the problem. It may be a target, estimate or contractual commitment; the phrase alone does not tell you which. A date for the next update is different from a date for resolution.

An example and a clearer version

The original wording

We cannot confirm a resolution timeframe.

In plain English

We cannot yet say when the problem will be fixed.

What to say instead

expected time to fix the problem.

How to make the next step clear

Ask whether the stated time is an estimate and what happens if the issue remains unresolved. Where no fixing date is known, ask for an update date so you know when to follow up.

Wording you can adapt

Is Friday the estimated fixing date or the next update date? Please confirm what happens if it is still unresolved.

The wording around a phrase matters. Keep the names, dates, amounts and conditions from the original when you rewrite it.

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