About this case study: it is based on a business typical of the ones we work with, not a named client, and every number comes from the assumptions at the end of the page. Swap in your own and the sums still work.
The problem
Of 400 daily orders, about 240 are COD. Some buyers cannot be reached, some ordered on impulse, some gave a wrong address. Each return costs shipping both ways.
The support team calls a share of COD buyers to confirm, and answers around 60 "where is my order" chats a day by checking the courier site.
What we build
- 1
Confirm on WhatsApp
Every new COD order gets a WhatsApp message with Confirm and Cancel buttons, plus an optional small discount for paying online.
- 2
Ship only what is confirmed
Confirmed orders go to the shipping queue. Orders with no reply in 12 hours become a single call task.
- 3
Tracking without asking
Courier updates are sent at dispatch, out for delivery and delivered.
- 4
Order status answered
An AI assistant answers order status questions from the Shopify order and the tracking data, and hands everything else to the team.
Before and after
| Step | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmation calls | About 96 a day | Only unanswered orders |
| "Where is my order" chats | About 3 minutes each | Most answered automatically |
| Address problems | Found at delivery | Caught at confirmation |
Where a person stays in control
Refunds, cancellations after dispatch and complaints always go to a person. The assistant only reads order and tracking data.
Running cost
Roughly ₹15,000–25,000 a month for messages, the support tool and AI usage, mostly driven by order volume.
Tools
- Shopify
- WhatsApp Business API
- Shiprocket or courier tracking
- AI assistant
- n8n
How the numbers work
- 240 COD orders a day; 40% were called at 3 minutes each ≈ 4.8 hours a day × 30 days = 144 hours.
- 60 status chats a day at 3 minutes = 90 hours a month; 70% answered automatically ≈ 63 hours.
- Team time costed at ₹450 an hour: 207 × ₹450 ≈ ₹93,000.
- If confirmation lowers COD returns from 25% to 18%, that is about 17 fewer returns a day on 240 COD orders. Measure your own rate before and after.
Estimates, not promises. Use the savings calculator with your own hours and costs.
Want this for your business?
A free 30-minute call is enough to tell whether it fits, what it would take and what it would cost.