Sending free samples is expensive; not knowing what happened after delivery is worse. A short AI follow-up call closes the loop: did it arrive, did everything in the pack reach the right person, and what do they need next? In one deployment, a CBSE exam-prep book publisher calls teachers after their specimen book and thank-you gift are delivered. This post covers how to design that call.
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Why follow up at all
A courier update tells you a parcel was delivered. It doesn't tell you:
- whether the right person received it (a school office, a family member, a guard);
- whether everything in the pack arrived;
- whether the person has looked at it, or needs something else;
- who is worth a visit from your sales team.
A person can make these calls, but the list is long and each call is short, which makes it a good fit for an AI agent.
The call, in five steps
- Confirm delivery. "Namaste, aapko hamari taraf se book mil gayi?"
- Confirm the full pack. If there was a gift or a second item, ask about it separately. A "yes" to the book doesn't mean the gift arrived.
- One or two features, not a pitch. Point out the one thing most people miss: a new chapter pattern, practice section or free online resource.
- Capture any need. More copies, another class or subject, a price list, a visit.
- Agree the next action and close politely.
Keep it under a minute. The person already knows who you are; they don't need the full introduction again.
What to record after every call
Set up post-call extraction so each call becomes a row with the same fields:
| Field | Example values |
|---|---|
| Call outcome | Reached, wrong person, callback, not interested |
| Delivery status | Received, not received, received by someone else |
| Item acknowledged | Yes / no |
| Gift or extra acknowledged | Yes / no / not applicable |
| Features mentioned | Which ones the agent covered |
| Requirement raised | More copies, other subject, price list, visit |
| Next action | Send details on WhatsApp, sales visit, none |
| Call score | 1 to 5 |
"Not received" rows go straight to your dispatch team. "Requirement raised" rows go to sales. Export to CSV or Google Sheets, or send them to your CRM by webhook.
Count the dials you didn't connect
Follow-up lists have a lot of unanswered calls. In the first days of one campaign, about half the dials went unanswered. If unanswered calls don't produce a row, your dashboard only shows the people who picked up, and every rate looks better than it is.
Make sure each dial is counted, answered or not, and use retries by outcome within a sensible calling window. Only then can you say how many recipients you actually reached.
Common mistakes
- Re-pitching the product. The sample already did that. Ask, don't sell.
- One question covering two items. "Did you get the book and gift?" gets a single "haan". Ask about each separately.
- Treating "received" as "reached". A family member saying it arrived is not the same as the person confirming it. Record who answered.
- No hand-off. If nobody acts on "not received" or "wants a visit" within a day, the call was wasted.
Cost
On Edesy, calls are billed per started minute at Rs 4-6 per minute depending on your prepaid top-up, and unanswered calls are free. A follow-up call that stays under a minute costs one minute.
Try it
Start with one delivery batch, listen to 30 calls, then fix the script before scaling. Create a free account or talk to us. See how the first call in this programme works in how a publisher verifies teachers with AI calls.