Delays and shortages persist almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have spread far beyond toilet paper and wipes. Just ask anybody who's tried to buy an appliance.The global supply chain is broken and the economy tangled, and experts say the effects could be felt for years to come. But there are ways customers and companies are navigating this new economy. For customers, that means asking some key questions at every store right now.Barbara Eisenzopf has been using a dorm-sized refrigerator since July 6, when her old one stopped cold. "It's been a savior, but it's just not doing it," Eisenzopf said. "I can't keep too much of anything too big in here."After searching six appliance stores, Eisenzopf ended up at Best Buy, which told her she could order a Samsung fridge for delivery on July 27. But that date was pushed to Aug. 16, Aug. 30, Sept. 13 and then Oct. 8. Eisenzopf was fed up. "Just get me my refrigerator, that's all I'm asking. It's going to be three months in October," she said. "Where did it go the first time?"After sister station WCVB intervened, Best Buy delivered her a fridge Monday, nearly three weeks early. The company did not offer comment or explanation.So, how long will parts of the economy be on ice?"The consensus seems to be the second half of 2023," said Peter Cohan, a lecturer of strategy at Babson College outside of Boston. Cohan follows the retail economy and says the delays generally start overseas, where plenty of factories are still being impacted by COVID-19. "If you don't have all the pieces you need in these complex appliances, then you can't ship them," he said. "Really the whole thing will not get back to normal until all the supply chains around the world are filled with people who are fully vaccinated and can safely work at sort of full capacity."It's not just customers who are frustrated — companies are, too. WCVB asked Eliot Tatelman, the iconic president of Jordan's Furniture, to spell it out directly. "It's not over yet," he said. Jordan's prides itself on keeping customers happy, something Tatelman said the pandemic has tested like never before with a three-month shutdown last spring, which was followed by record demand and products that arrived from factories sporadically. "The thing that's bothering me the most is upsetting customers, having customers mad at me. Especially when you've worked your whole life to build a following," Tatelman said. "We kept sending notices to our customers telling them it's coming. And then it doesn't come and after they get three, four, five delays, they're ready to kill us. It's totally against what we built the company on."But Tatelman said he's now seeing incremental improvements, both in terms of customers' mindset and the availability of furniture."Now people are getting it. They're coming in and saying: 'What do you have?'" he said. "We do see a little bit of a light. Merchandise seems to be coming a little bit better."Walking around Jordan's Avon showroom, it looks like business as usual. That even includes downstairs, where preparations are underway to open The Enchanted Village that Tatelman saved from the old Jordan Marsh department store in Boston, as well as the indoor snow tubing hill he hopes to debut this holiday season. Fun and games aside, plenty of challenges remain — and that includes hiring."We have over 1,200 people that work at this company and right now, we're looking for a hundred," Tatelman said. "We're getting by, but we need them. We're fussy."In the end, Tatelman said Jordan's is a better company for the challenges it has endured and customers are savvier, too. "We've developed ways where we're actually calling customers and staying on top of it. We're calling them first, and we're calling the factories every single day," Tatelman said. "I think one of the things is we've all learned a good lesson: to appreciate some of the things that we all took for granted."So what’s the best bet to finding an appliance or piece of furniture in this new economy?At any store, the first question a customer should ask has to be 'What's in stock?' If the item they want is in stock, customers should then ask when it can actually get it delivered because different companies can have very different timetables. Next tip: shop around, especially with appliances. Try a mix of small stores and big chains.Finally, change your expectations because products take longer. If you're thinking about a new couch next year, start looking now.