Studies show that nearly 20% of e-commerce shipments fail on the first attempt, usually because the customer isn’t available, the address is incorrect, or the delivery location can’t be accessed. Each failed attempt not only adds cost but also delays the order, increases return-to-origin (RTO) rates, and damages customer trust.
A delivery attempt simply means the courier tries to hand over a parcel to the recipient. When that handover doesn’t happen, whether due to a wrong address, timing mismatch, or restricted access, it’s marked as a failed delivery attempt.
In this blog, we’ll explore what failed delivery attempts really mean, why they happen, and what takes place when a delivery is unsuccessful. You’ll also discover practical ways to reduce repeat attempts and improve first-attempt success rates. We’ll also answer key questions like how many times a courier attempts pickup, what happens if delivery fails, and whether customers can collect their parcels afterward.
The Real Impact of Failed Delivery Attempts
Failed delivery attempts might seem like a small operational hiccup, but their impact runs deep across cost, efficiency, and customer experience.
Every additional delivery attempt increases expenses, from extra fuel and manpower to route rescheduling and customer coordination. What seems like a single missed stop can multiply into a chain of inefficiencies that quickly inflate overall logistics costs.
Beyond numbers, failed deliveries leave a lasting impression on customers. A missed delivery often means a delayed order, frustration, and the loss of trust in the brand’s reliability. In a competitive e-commerce landscape where customers have endless choices, one failed delivery can easily turn a repeat buyer into a one-time shopper.
That’s why addressing failed delivery attempts isn’t just about reducing costs, it’s about protecting your brand promise and ensuring every customer’s experience ends on a positive note.
Top Reasons Why Delivery Attempts Fail
Even a single failed delivery attempt can ripple through your entire eCommerce logistics network, increasing costs, delaying shipments, and affecting overall customer satisfaction.
That’s why reducing failed delivery attempts isn’t just about saving time or cost, it’s about delivering on the promise your brand makes with every order.
What Happens After a Failed Attempt?
Sometimes, even with the best planning, a delivery doesn’t go through as expected. When that happens, the courier follows a standard process to ensure the parcel still reaches the customer.
- The courier updates the status as “Delivery Attempted, Unable to hand over” or a similar message.
- A second or third delivery attempt is usually scheduled, depending on the carrier’s policy.
- If the parcel still can’t be delivered, it’s held at the nearest hub or post office for the customer to pick up.
- When the package isn’t collected within the specified time, it’s marked for Return to Origin (RTO) and sent back to the sender.
- During this process, customers can contact the support team or courier helpline to reschedule delivery or get more information.
In short, a failed attempt doesn’t always mean a lost package, it’s just a pause in the journey, with several ways to ensure the delivery still happens.
Best Practices to Reduce Failed Delivery Attempts
Reducing failed delivery attempts isn’t just about saving logistics costs, it’s about creating a smoother delivery experience for customers and maintaining operational efficiency. Here are some effective ways businesses can minimize delivery failures:
Address Verification
Use real-time address validation tools to ensure customer addresses are complete, accurate, and deliverable. This helps avoid delivery delays caused by incorrect or incomplete details.
Flexible Delivery Scheduling
Allow customers to select preferred delivery time slots or reschedule easily if they’re unavailable. Giving flexibility increases the chances that someone will be present to receive the parcel.
Real-Time Visibility & Communication
Keep customers informed through SMS, WhatsApp, or IVR alerts about driver location, estimated time of arrival (ETA), and any unexpected delays. Proactive updates help reduce missed deliveries and improve satisfaction.
Route Optimization and Logistics Planning
Use AI-powered route optimization software to plan efficient last-mile routes. It ensures faster deliveries, minimizes fuel costs, and reduces instances where drivers can’t locate the destination.
Leverage Non-Delivery Reports (NDR)
A Non-Delivery Report (NDR) helps identify and address the reason behind a failed attempt, such as incorrect address, customer unavailability, or refusal. By automating NDR communication, businesses can instantly notify customers, allow them to update information, and schedule a reattempt. A well-managed NDR workflow can recover a significant percentage of failed deliveries and reduce Return to Origin (RTO) costs.
Offer Alternate Pick-Up or Locker Options
If home delivery fails or seems uncertain, provide alternate delivery options such as nearby collection points, lockers, or retail partner locations. This ensures the customer still receives the package conveniently.
Monitor and Act on Fake Attempts
Leverage technology to detect fraudulent or false delivery attempts where couriers repeatedly mark shipments as “attempted” without proof. Monitoring such patterns helps prevent cost leakage and maintains accountability.
Track Key Delivery Metrics (FADR)
Regularly monitor your First Attempt Delivery Rate (FADR), a key performance indicator that reflects delivery efficiency. Aim for a FADR above 90%, with best-performing logistics operations achieving 95% or higher.
Reducing failed attempts takes a mix of technology, transparency, and customer-first delivery practices. By following these strategies, brands can lower costs, improve reliability, and build lasting trust with their customers.
Implications for Indian D2C/E-commerce Brands
In India’s e-commerce landscape, failed delivery attempts are more than just operational hiccups, they directly affect cost, customer satisfaction, and brand trust. The challenge is especially pronounced for D2C brands dealing with a mix of COD and prepaid orders, tier-2 and tier-3 cities, pin-code limitations, and multi-carrier delivery networks.
Here’s how brands can address these challenges effectively:
Priorities Pin-Code Validation and Address Accuracy
Many failed deliveries originate from incomplete or invalid addresses. Implement automated pin-code validation at checkout and encourage customers to double-check their address details before confirming orders. This small step can drastically reduce delivery errors in remote or newly mapped regions.
Choose Couriers with Transparent Retry Policies
Partner with carriers that have a clear and reliable delivery retry policy, ideally allowing up to three attempts for forward shipments. This ensures customers get multiple chances to receive their parcel before it’s marked as undelivered or returned.
Strengthen Pre-Delivery Communication
Send timely SMS, WhatsApp, or email alerts before each delivery attempt. Clear communication, including driver contact, estimated delivery window, and an option to reschedule, improves the likelihood of successful handovers, especially for COD orders.
Track and Analyze RTO Incidents
Every failed attempt increases the risk of a Return to Origin (RTO), which adds to logistics cost and inventory turnaround time. Monitor delivery patterns closely, identify high-RTO zones, and take corrective actions, such as pre-verifying customers or adjusting carrier allocation.
Adopt Smart Return Management Logic
Automate decision-making for failed deliveries. For example, if a parcel remains undelivered after multiple attempts, redirect it to a nearby pick-up point or trigger a quick RTO to reduce holding and reverse logistics costs.
In short, for Indian D2C brands, tackling failed deliveries isn’t just about improving logistics, it’s about protecting margins, preserving customer trust, and delivering reliability at scale
In Nutshell
Failed delivery attempts may look like small bumps in the logistics journey, but their ripple effect runs deep, adding hidden costs, eroding customer trust, and slowing brand momentum. The bright side? Every failed attempt is an opportunity to improve.
With the right mix of accurate address capture, flexible scheduling, proactive communication, route optimisation, and real-time performance tracking, missed deliveries can turn into moments of customer delight. Each successful first attempt doesn’t just save time and money, it strengthens the bond between your brand and your buyers.
That’s where eShipz steps in, empowering logistics teams to move from reactive to proactive, predicting delivery risks, automating workflows, and eliminating failed attempts before they even happen.
Make “failed attempt” a thing of the past, with eShipz