A customer on WhatsApp asks what shipping will cost for a bulky order: how do I estimate it before quoting?
First work out the chargeable weight of the carton the order will ship in, then look up that weight on the rate table of the carrier you use. The tool gives you the weight, not the price. The mistake to avoid in a quick chat is quoting on the actual weight: the customer gets a friendly number and you pay the difference.
An example from a real chat
A customer orders a set of products that will go in a 45 × 35 × 25 cm carton, weighing 4 kg with packing, and asks: how much to ship to Abu Dhabi? Before replying, I put the figures into the calculator:
- With 5000 as an example divisor: volumetric weight 7.88 kg, which is the chargeable weight, almost double the actual weight.
- With 6000 as an example divisor: volumetric weight 6.56 kg.
- Either way, quoting on 4 kg would clearly have come in under the real cost.
Now look up the price for the chargeable weight under your own carrier's divisor on its table, not the price for 4 kg.
Replying in two minutes
- Estimate the carton size the order needs, or pick from the cartons you stock.
- Weigh the products with packing roughly, or add up their known weights plus the carton.
- Enter the figures in the Volumetric shipping-weight calculator with your carrier's divisor and read the chargeable weight.
- Find its price on the carrier's table, add a small margin for the carrier's rounding, then send the figure to the customer.
Wording the reply
Keep the reply clear and leave yourself room in case the size changes. For example: 'Shipping for your order is around X dirhams, based on the packed carton size. I will confirm the final figure when the order is packed.' That way you are not tied to a number that could change if the order needs a bigger carton.
For a large or business order, send a written quote with shipping on its own line using the Quotation generator, rather than a message that gets lost in the chat. And to make it easy for new customers to reach you, put a direct chat link in your profiles with the WhatsApp link generator.
When the customer asks to split the order
Some customers ask whether shipping would be cheaper in two batches. Work out both options before answering, because two parcels can be billed differently from one by your carrier. Give them both figures and let them choose.
Common questions
Does the tool give me the shipping price directly?
No, only the weight. The price comes from your carrier's table.
What if I do not know the carton size yet?
Use the nearest carton you stock, and tell the customer the figure is an estimate.
Should I copy the result and send it to the customer?
Copy result gives the full calculation, which is more useful to you than to them. Send them just the final price.