The buyer said "yes, send it". It's tempting to place the order straight away. Don't, not yet. A short confirmation call first is the single best habit for keeping parcels from coming back.
Why one call matters so much
Our data from about 5,000 cash-on-delivery orders from Sri Lankan online shops shows that, selling to strangers online, 30–37% of parcels came back. The two biggest reasons:
- No answer (42% of returns): the customer didn't answer the courier.
- Refused (19% of returns): the customer said no at the door.
A confirmation call tests both. If the number doesn't answer you today, it may not answer the courier in three days. If the buyer sounds unsure on the phone, they may refuse at the door.
And it matters to you: a returned parcel earns nothing. Every seller gets 3 free returns; after that, Amber and Red sellers pay a Rs 150 return fee per return. See how seller levels work.
Call, don't just message
A WhatsApp message can be answered by anyone, from any phone. A call proves three things: the number works, the person answers it, and they really mean to buy. It takes two minutes.
The best time is soon after they say yes, while they're still interested. If they ordered at 9 pm, a call the same evening or the next morning is ideal.
The confirmation checklist
Go through these on every call:
- Name of the person who will receive the parcel.
- The product: item, colour, size, quantity.
- The full total: item price plus delivery (usually around Rs 450). Say the final number out loud.
- How they will pay: cash on delivery, or a secure payment link MyKade texts to them (pay in full or an advance). They pay MyKade, never you.
- Full address with a landmark: house number, road, town, and "near the temple" or "opposite the school".
- The phone number the courier should call, and a second number if possible.
- When to expect it: order to door takes about 3 days on average. Ask them to keep the phone close and answer unknown numbers.
- Who will receive it if they're at work.
A call script you can use
English: Hello, is this [name]? This is [your name], about the [product] you ordered. I just want to confirm before I send it. It's [colour/size], total Rs [total] including delivery, cash on delivery. The address is [address], right? The courier will call this number in about 2 to 3 days, so please answer even if it's an unknown number. Is that all okay?
සිංහල: හලෝ, [නම] ද? මම [ඔයාගේ නම], ඔයා ඕඩර් කරපු [බඩුව] ගැන. යවන්න කලින් කන්ෆර්ම් කරගන්න කෝල් කළේ. [කලර්/සයිස්], ඩිලිවරි එක්ක මුළු ගාන රු. [එකතුව], බඩුව ආවම සල්ලි දෙන්න. ලිපිනය [ලිපිනය] නේද? දවස් 2-3කින් විතර කූරියර් මේ නම්බර් එකට කෝල් කරයි, නොදන්න නම්බර් එකක් වුණත් ආන්සර් කරන්න. ඔක්කොම හරිද?
தமிழ்: ஹலோ, [பெயர்] தானே? நான் [உங்கள் பெயர்], நீங்கள் ஓடர் செய்த [பொருள்] பற்றி. அனுப்பும் முன் கன்ஃபர்ம் செய்யத்தான் கால் பண்ணினேன். [கலர்/அளவு], டெலிவரியோடு மொத்தம் ரூ. [மொத்தம்], பொருள் வந்ததும் பணம். முகவரி [முகவரி] தானே? சுமார் 2-3 நாட்களில் கூரியர் இந்த நம்பருக்கு கால் பண்ணுவார், தெரியாத நம்பர் என்றாலும் ஆன்சர் பண்ணுங்கள். எல்லாம் சரியா?
If they don't answer
- Try twice, at different times.
- Send a short message: "Hi, I tried calling to confirm your [product] order. Please call me back when you're free."
- Don't place the order until you've spoken. A buyer who can't be reached now is the classic "no answer" return later.
Listen for warning signs
Some answers suggest the parcel may come back. Take them seriously:
- "Send it, I'll see when it comes." They're not sure yet.
- "I'm not sure where I'll be next week."
- The address is vague, or they won't give a landmark.
- They're surprised by the total. Clear this up now, not at the door.
You can say: "No problem, shall I wait until you're sure?" Losing one order now is better than a return.
For orders that still feel doubtful, a payment link where the customer pays an advance can help, because a customer who has paid something is committed. MyKade may also ask for a deposit or confirmation on risky orders itself, for example from a number that refused parcels before.
Make it a habit
Confirm every order, even from people you know. It's quick, it's polite, and it shows you care about getting it right. Combined with replying fast and honest captions, it's the base of a low-return shop. For the full list of return reasons and fixes, read why parcels come back.
Ready to sell with fewer returns? Download the MyKade app and make the confirmation call part of every order.