How to Improve Confirmation and Delivery Rates in COD Ecommerce

Two sellers can run the same product with the same ads and get completely different results. The difference is usually what happens after the order: how fast it is confirmed and how well it is delivered.

1. Measure the two rates correctly

Track them per product, per creative and per city. A global average hides the problems.

2. Speed is the biggest lever

The customer's interest is highest right after ordering. Every hour of delay lowers the chance of confirmation.

• Call within 15–30 minutes of the order during working hours.
• Orders received at night are called first thing in the morning.
• No answer? Try 3–5 times over 24–48 hours at different times, then send a WhatsApp message with the product photo and price.

3. A simple confirmation script

1. Greet and identify: "Hello, this is [brand] about the [product] you ordered."
2. Confirm the product and the total price — no surprises at the door.
3. Get a precise location: area, street, building and a landmark. In Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, a landmark is often more useful than an address.
4. Agree on the delivery day and a phone number that will answer.
5. Offer the upsell if relevant ("a second piece for only…").
6. Close with reassurance: "You pay only when you receive it."

4. Why orders fail — and the fix

Record the cancellation reason for every order. After one week you will know exactly what to fix.

5. Delivery follow-up

• Message the customer the day before and the morning of delivery.
• Riders call before arriving.
• If the customer is not available, reschedule — don't cancel.
• Re-try refused orders once with a call from the confirmation team; many refusals are just timing.

6. Filter fake orders early

• Limit repeat orders from the same number in a short time.
• Use a honeypot field on your form to stop bots.
• Watch for creatives or placements that bring many low-quality leads (very cheap CPL + very low confirmation).

7. Targets to work toward

Results vary by product and price, but a healthy COD operation in East Africa generally aims for:

Next step

CODSwiftly's free call center calls every order fast, our delivery team follows up until the parcel is in the customer's hands, and you see every status and reason in your dashboard.