Trust & delivery
Delivery: the part of the sale most sellers improvise
· 5 min read
Trust & delivery — article artwork
A surprising number of orders die after the buyer has already said yes, in the muddle about how the item gets to them and who pays for it. It is the easiest part of the sale to fix, because it is entirely about deciding your policy before someone asks.
Decide your delivery cost in advance, by zone
Not per order, and not by negotiation. Three or four zones with a flat price each — central, greater Kampala, outside — is enough. Write them into a saved WhatsApp reply and into your store description.
A buyer who has to wait while you ring a boda to find out the price is a buyer with time to reconsider.
Say who pays and when
Whether delivery is included, added, or paid to the rider directly. Whether the item is paid for on delivery. Both answers are fine; not having an answer is not.
Use one rider you trust
A rider who knows your business handles your customers better than one hired per delivery. They can answer basic questions, they treat the item properly, and they will call you rather than abandon a difficult drop.
For anything valuable, agree with the buyer that they inspect before paying the rider. It protects both of you.
Confirm the drop
One message when the item leaves and one when it arrives. It costs nothing and it is the difference between a customer who orders again and a customer who spent an afternoon wondering.