5 Questions to Ask Before You Trust Anyone With Your Deliveries

For an online business, the rider is the last person your customer meets — and often the only one. A late, rude, or missing delivery undoes all the work you put into the sale. Yet many small businesses pick a dispatch rider on price alone and find out the hard way that cheap can be very expensive.

Before you hand over your goods, run through these five questions.

1. Can you cover my delivery zones reliably?

Mainland to Island, or a same-day run to Ikorodu, is not the same as a two-street hop. Confirm the rider works your routes regularly and knows the traffic patterns that decide whether a package arrives on time.

2. What happens if something goes wrong?

Accidents, damage, and disputes happen. A serious rider or service can tell you plainly how they handle a lost or damaged item before it ever occurs. Vague answers here are a red flag.

3. How will I and my customer stay updated?

"I've picked up" and "I've delivered" are the minimum. Reliable communication is often the difference between a calm customer and an angry one, even when the delivery itself is fine.

4. Can I verify who you are?

“You are trusting a stranger with goods your customer already paid for. Verified identity is not paranoia — it is basic business sense.”

Confirm identity and a traceable track record. This single check prevents the most common and most painful logistics losses.

5. Are your rates clear and consistent?

Surprise charges on delivery embarrass you in front of your customer. Agree the price per zone up front, in writing, so every party knows what to expect.