Decide where you deliver
Write down the areas you cover. If distance changes the fee, define bands (near, further, far) instead of pricing each address by hand. A short list the customer can read beats a conversation each time.
Be honest about the edges. If a far area takes an hour longer, say so, or do not serve it.
Fees and minimums
Whatever you charge, show it before the customer commits. A minimum order and a delivery fee are both reasonable, but not if they appear at the end. If you offer free delivery above a certain total, say what that total is so customers can decide whether to add something.
Getting a usable address
Bad addresses are the number one cause of failed deliveries. A street name alone is rarely enough. Ask for the building, the floor, a nearby landmark and a phone number that will be answered. A location pin from the customer’s phone is better than any description, and the two together are best.
If the customer is likely to be unreachable (at work, in a meeting), ask who can receive the order.
Time estimates
Give a range you can beat, not a number you can barely hit. “40 to 60 minutes” and arriving at 45 is a good experience. “30 minutes” and arriving at 45 is a late delivery, even though it was the same drive.
Your busiest hour should have a longer estimate than your quietest one. Customers accept this readily when you tell them.
Pickup
Pickup removes the address problem entirely, and many customers prefer it. Make it clear where to collect, which branch if you have several, the hours, and what to say or show when they arrive. Tell them when the order will be ready, and let them know if that changes.
Put your policy in six lines
Everything above can live in a short note you paste when asked, or show on your page. Something like this, adjusted to your own rules:
Delivery: zones A and B, same day for orders before 6 pm.
Fee: a flat fee per zone, shown before you confirm. Free above the amount shown in the store.
Time: usually 40 to 60 minutes, longer at lunch and dinner.
Pickup: any branch, ready in about 20 minutes.
Address: please add the building, the floor and a landmark.
Problem with your order? Reply here and we will fix it.
Six lines, no legal language. If a customer disagrees about what was promised, you both have the same text to point at.
The last hundred metres
Whoever delivers is, for that minute, your whole business. A call or message as they arrive, a quick check of the order with the customer at the door, and a bag that is sealed or closed all make a difference out of proportion to the effort. It is also where most complaints either start or get resolved on the spot.
When a delivery fails
It will happen: nobody answers the door, the address was wrong, the customer changed their mind. Decide in advance what you do, and tell customers. Do you try again? Is there a fee? How long do you hold the order? Having the answers ready keeps the conversation calm.
General advice from the 2sra3 team, written from how online ordering usually works. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and your own rules and local regulations come first.