NDR Management: The Complete Guide to Reduce RTO and Improve Delivery Success

If you ship parcels daily, you’ve already faced the most frustrating moment in ecommerce logistics: the order is packed, dispatched, and almost delivered and then it gets stuck as NDR. One failed delivery attempt can quickly turn into an RTO, which means double shipping cost, blocked COD cashflow, and a disappointed customer who may never reorder.

That’s why NDR management is not a “support task.” It’s a revenue protection system.

In this blog, you’ll learn what NDR is, why it happens, how the NDR process works, and the exact SOP you can implement to reduce delivery failures and improve your delivered-to-dispatched ratio.

What Is NDR?

NDR stands for Non-Delivery Report. In courier operations, an NDR is raised when a shipment delivery attempt fails and the courier marks it with a reason such as:

• Customer not reachable
• Address incomplete / incorrect
• Customer refused delivery
• COD not ready
• Delivery attempted, customer unavailable
• Area not serviceable / restricted
• RTO initiated due to repeated failure

So, NDR in courier is basically a “delivery exception” state where your shipment needs action—either from the customer, the courier, or your support team—to prevent it from becoming RTO.

Why NDR Management Matters

When NDR is not handled fast, you pay in multiple ways:

1. RTO cost increases
2. Inventory gets blocked
3. COD cashflow slows down
4. Customer experience drops
5. Courier performance declines

Strong NDR management directly supports RTO reduction and improves profitability—especially for COD-heavy businesses.

Common NDR Reasons

Here are the most frequent delivery failure reasons and what you should do:

1) Customer Not Reachable

Cause: wrong number, switched off, no answer, unreachable network
Fix: instant WhatsApp/SMS + alternate number capture + reattempt schedule

2) Address Incomplete / Incorrect

Cause: missing landmark, incorrect pincode, partial house number
Fix: address validation + customer confirmation + pin-code serviceability check

3) Customer Unavailable

Cause: customer not home, delivery timing mismatch
Fix: reschedule window + “preferred delivery time” capture

4) Customer Refused Delivery

Cause: delayed delivery, changed mind, price issue, trust issue
Fix: refusal reason tagging + offer reattempt only if confirmed

5) COD Not Ready

Cause: customer doesn’t have cash ready or asks for later
Fix: COD reminder message + reattempt after confirmation

6) Delivery Attempted / No Response

Cause: courier visited but couldn’t hand over parcel
Fix: verify attempt authenticity + reschedule + escalation if repeated
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The Ideal NDR Process

A practical NDR process has one goal: resolve NDR within 24–48 hours (ideally same-day) to prevent RTO.

Step 1: NDR Trigger + Reason Capture

As soon as courier marks a shipment as NDR, you should capture:

• AWB number
• Courier partner
• NDR reason code
• Timestamp + last scan location
• Customer contact details

Step 2: Customer Confirmation

Within a few hours, trigger a message:

• “Your parcel is out for delivery again. Please confirm address/availability.”
  Use WhatsApp first , then SMS, then call if needed.

Step 3: Action Selection

Your team should choose one action:

• Reattempt delivery
• Update address
• Hold for customer
• Cancel / RTO

Step 4: Courier Instruction + Escalation

Send the selected action back to courier via the proper channel . If the courier repeats the same NDR without real attempt, escalate.

Step 5: Closure + Tagging for Insights

Close the NDR with a final status:

• Delivered
• RTO initiated
• Lost / damaged

Also tag the root cause to build prevention later.
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NDR Management SOP

Use this simple SOP to professionalize your NDR management:

T+0 to T+2 hours (Immediate):

• Pull NDR list from dashboard
• Segment by courier + reason + value
• Trigger WhatsApp/SMS confirmation

T+2 to T+8 hours (Same-day):

• Call high-risk NDRs (COD, high-value, repeat RTO pincodes)
• Confirm address and availability
• Update remarks + request reattempt

T+8 to T+24 hours (Next attempt):

• Track reattempt scan
• If no scan or repeated “not reachable,” escalate courier
• If customer doesn’t respond, attempt alternate number or email

T+24 to T+48 hours (Decision window):

• If customer confirmed: reattempt again
• If no confirmation: consider RTO to reduce losses
• Mark reason tags for analytics

This SOP alone can noticeably improve delivery success.
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Best Practices to Improve NDR Resolution Rate

1) Fix Data at Checkout

Most NDR problems start before shipping.

• Mandatory landmark field
• Pincode validation
• Phone number verification
• “Preferred delivery time” dropdown

2) COD Confirmation for High-RTO Zones

For COD orders in high-risk pincodes:

• Confirm COD readiness on WhatsApp before dispatch
• Offer prepaid incentives  to reduce refusal and “COD not ready”

3) Automate First Touch

NDR speed matters. Automate:

• WhatsApp message instantly when NDR is raised
• SMS fallback after X hours
• Call task creation for unresolved NDR

4) Courier Performance Mapping

Not all couriers perform the same in every region. Track:

• Courier-wise NDR%
• Courier-wise delivery success rate
• Average NDR resolution time
  Then allocate volumes accordingly to reduce repeat NDR.

5) Create a “Repeat Offender” List

Maintain lists for:

• High RTO pincodes
• Repeat refusal customers
• Invalid address patterns
  Apply stricter verification for these segments.

6) Use Standard Reply Templates

When your team writes different messages every time, resolution slows. Use templates (below).
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WhatsApp/SMS Templates for NDR Management

Template 1: Not Reachable / Customer Unavailable

“Hi {Name}, your order {OrderID} delivery attempt was missed today. Please reply with:

1. Deliver today (time)
2. Deliver tomorrow (time)
3. Update address (send landmark/pincode)”

Template 2: Address Issue

“Hi {Name}, courier needs an address confirmation for {OrderID}. Please share:
House/Flat No, Street, Landmark, Pincode + Google Maps link (optional).”

Template 3: COD Not Ready

“Hi {Name}, your COD order {OrderID} is scheduled for delivery. Please confirm you’ll have ₹{Amount} ready so we can arrange reattempt.”
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Key Metrics to Track for NDR Management

If you want RTO reduction, measure these weekly:

• NDR% = NDR shipments / total shipped
• NDR resolution rate = Delivered after NDR / total NDR
• NDR TAT = average time to resolve NDR
• Reason-wise split
• Courier-wise NDR rate
• Zone/pincode-wise NDR rate
• Repeat NDR count

These metrics show whether your NDR process is working or just “running tickets.”

Tools That Make NDR Management Easier

A clean NDR workflow usually needs:

• Central dashboard to see all NDR across couriers
• Auto alerts on NDR events
• Built-in customer communication (WhatsApp/SMS/call tasks)
• Courier escalation mechanism
• Analytics to identify root causes

Many ecommerce teams move to a multi-carrier shipping setup because NDR becomes impossible to manage across multiple courier panels manually.
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FAQ: NDR Management

What is NDR management?

NDR management is the process of handling non-delivery reports by confirming customer details, rescheduling deliveries, updating addresses, and coordinating with courier partners to prevent RTO.

How fast should we resolve NDR?

Ideally within 24 hours, maximum 48 hours. The longer you wait, the higher the chances of RTO.

Which NDR reason causes the most RTO?

Typically customer not reachable and address issues. Both can be reduced with better checkout validation and faster customer follow-up.

Can NDR be automated?

Yes. The first touch (WhatsApp/SMS alert + confirmation collection) should be automated. Human calls should focus on high-value or high-risk cases.
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Conclusion: NDR Management Is the Fastest Path to RTO Reduction

If you want quick wins in ecommerce logistics, don’t start by negotiating rates—start by tightening NDR management.

A strong NDR SOP improves:

• Delivery success rate
• COD realization
• Customer experience
• Profit margins

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