# Recover Failed Deliveries (NDR) with AI Calls

> When the courier marks 'customer not available', an AI call within hours reconfirms address, time and payment, so the next attempt succeeds and RTO drops.

Source: https://edesy.in/blog/ndr-failed-delivery-recovery-ai-calls-2026

**When the courier marks a shipment "customer not available" or "address incomplete", an AI call
within a few hours can usually find out why and fix it before the next attempt.** The agent calls
the customer in Hindi or their language, asks what happened, confirms or corrects the address and a
good delivery time, and checks that cash is ready for COD. You pass the corrected details to the
courier as a re-attempt instruction, and fewer failed deliveries turn into return-to-origin (RTO).
It complements [COD verification](https://edesy.in/ai-voice-assistant/use-cases/cod-verification), which works
before dispatch.

> **Try an NDR call on your own number:** [Start free on Edesy](https://voice-agent.edesy.in/?utm_source=edesy.in&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=ndr-failed-delivery-recovery-ai-calls-2026) — Rs 50 free credit, no demo needed.

## Why NDR is where RTO is decided

A failed delivery attempt is not yet a lost order. The customer may have been at work, the address
may be missing a landmark, or the delivery person may not have called. But couriers attempt only a
limited number of times, and if nothing changes between attempts, the shipment comes back. You pay
both legs; see what that costs at your rates with the
[COD and RTO calculator](https://edesy.in/tools/cod-rto-calculator) and
[Delhivery courier charges calculator](https://edesy.in/tools/delhivery-courier-charges).

Most small sellers see NDRs in their panel and never get to call them all. An AI agent can call every
one the same day.

## The NDR call

> Namaste {{name}} ji, main {{store}} se ek automated call kar rahi hoon. Aapka {{product}} ka order
> kal deliver nahi ho paaya, courier ne "{{ndr_reason}}" bataya hai. Kya aap abhi bhi yeh order lena
> chahte hain?
>
> - **Haan:** "Kya aapka address {{address}} sahi hai? Koi landmark bataiye. Kal kis time aap ghar par honge?"
> - **COD order:** "Delivery par {{amount}} rupaye cash ya UPI se dena hoga, theek hai?"
> - **Nahi chahiye:** "Koi baat nahi, main order cancel kar deti hoon."

**Capture:** still wants the order, corrected address, landmark, preferred time, payment ready,
cancel reason.

## The flow

1. **NDR status arrives** from your shipping aggregator or courier panel, by webhook or a regular export.
2. **An automation tool** (Zapier, Make, n8n or a small script) sends the customer's details and the
   NDR reason to the voice agent's API. See the [trigger-call API](https://edesy.in/docs/voice-agent/api/trigger-call).
3. **The AI calls within a few hours**, inside a daytime calling window.
4. **The outcome comes back** by webhook: re-attempt with new details, or cancel.
5. **You update the courier**: raise the re-attempt with the corrected address and time slot, or
   cancel the shipment so it comes back quickly.
6. **Unanswered?** Retry once, then send a WhatsApp message with a link to confirm.

## NDR reasons and what the agent does

| NDR reason | What the AI asks |
|---|---|
| Customer not available | Best time and day for the next attempt |
| Address incomplete or wrong | Full address with landmark and pincode |
| Customer refused | Whether they still want it, and why they refused |
| Cash not ready (COD) | Whether they can pay by cash or UPI at the next attempt |
| Customer asked to reschedule | Preferred date |
| Phone unreachable | (Retry at a different time, then WhatsApp) |

## NDR calls vs COD confirmation calls

| | COD confirmation | NDR recovery |
|---|---|---|
| When | Before dispatch | After a failed attempt |
| Goal | Filter out bad orders | Rescue good orders |
| Main question | "Do you want this order?" | "What went wrong, and when can we deliver?" |

Use both. For the pre-dispatch step, read
[COD confirmation: AI call vs WhatsApp vs IVR](https://edesy.in/blog/cod-confirmation-ai-call-vs-whatsapp-vs-ivr-2026).

**Coming next:** Edesy's [COD order confirmation calls](https://edesy.in/cod-order-confirmation) already handle the
pre-dispatch confirmation, with the answer written back to your store. NDR calls on the same
automation are on the roadmap but not available yet; until then, use an AI voice agent campaign as
described here.

## Cost

On Edesy, calls are billed per started minute at **Rs 4-6 per minute** depending on your prepaid
top-up, with unanswered calls free. An NDR call usually takes about a minute: **about Rs 4-6 per
answered call**, compared with forward plus return shipping on every RTO.

## Start with yesterday's NDRs

Export yesterday's NDR list from your courier panel, upload it as a small campaign, and see how many
the AI call rescues. [Create a free account](https://voice-agent.edesy.in/?utm_source=edesy.in&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=ndr-failed-delivery-recovery-ai-calls-2026),
or [talk to us](https://edesy.in/contact) for help connecting your shipping aggregator.

## Related reading

- [AI calls for logistics driver confirmations](https://edesy.in/blog/logistics-driver-confirmation-ai-calls-2026)
- [Delivery-day calls with an AI notifier](https://edesy.in/blog/delivery-day-notifier-ai-calls-2026)
- [What is COD order confirmation?](https://edesy.in/blog/what-is-cod-order-confirmation-2026)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is NDR in e-commerce shipping?

NDR (non-delivery report) is the courier's status when a delivery attempt fails: customer not available, address incomplete, customer refused, or asked to reschedule. If nothing is done, NDR shipments often end up as return-to-origin (RTO).

### How does an AI call help with NDR?

Within a few hours of the NDR, an AI voice agent calls the customer, asks why the delivery failed, confirms or corrects the address and a good time for the next attempt, and checks that cash is ready for COD. The seller then sends the courier a re-attempt instruction with the right details.

### Does NDR calling work with any courier?

Yes. The call is triggered by the NDR status, which you can get from your shipping aggregator or courier panel by webhook or export. The voice agent does not depend on a specific courier.

### How much does an NDR call cost?

On Edesy, calls cost Rs 4-6 per started minute and unanswered calls are free. An NDR call usually takes about a minute, so each answered call costs about Rs 4-6, compared with forward and return shipping on an RTO.

### Should NDR calls replace COD confirmation calls?

No, they work at different stages. COD confirmation happens before dispatch and filters out bad orders. NDR calls happen after a failed delivery attempt and rescue good orders that ran into a problem.