Delivery Instructions Examples That Actually Help the Courier

A good delivery instruction is one or two short sentences that tell the courier how to reach the door and what to do if something goes wrong, for example: "Entrance 3, floor 7, flat 112, intercom code 112K. Please call 15 minutes before; if no answer, leave with the concierge." It should cover access (entrance, floor, code), timing, and a fallback plan, and nothing that belongs on the gift card instead.

As florists, we read hundreds of these notes, and the difference between a smooth delivery and a bouquet driving around the city for an hour is almost always in those few words. Below you will find ready-to-copy delivery instructions examples for the most common situations, from apartment blocks and offices to hospitals and surprise deliveries, along with the mistakes we see most often.

What a delivery instruction should contain

Think of the instruction as directions you would give a friend arriving at the building for the first time. The courier already has the street address; what they lack is everything that happens after they park. Useful details are the entrance number, the floor, the intercom or door code, landmarks for hard-to-find buildings, and who to ask for if the recipient is not the person named on the order.

Keep it short and factual. Couriers read the note on a phone screen, often standing in the rain or snow, so one clear line beats a paragraph. Write numbers as numbers, put the most important detail first, and leave out anything the courier cannot act on.

Separate the instruction from the card message. The instruction is for the courier and is never handed over; the card goes to the recipient with the bouquet. A surprisingly common mistake is writing "Happy birthday, love you!" in the delivery notes and leaving the card empty. If you are unsure which field is which, our article on delivery instructions for flower orders explains each one.

Delivery instructions examples for flats and apartment blocks

Large residential buildings cause more failed deliveries than any other address type, because one street number can hide several entrances with separate codes. Example: "Building 5, korpus 2, entrance 4 (from the courtyard side), floor 9, flat 233. Intercom: 233 then call button." Every number in that line saves the courier a phone call.

If the code changes often or you do not know it, say so and point to the phone: "No intercom code, please call the recipient on arrival." For buildings with a closed courtyard or barrier, add how to get in: "Gate is opened from the security booth, say you are delivering to flat 45."

For private houses and dachas, landmarks matter more than numbers: "Green fence with a white gate, second house after the bus stop, dog on the plot, please call before entering." A good landmark is visible from the road and does not change with the season.

Bouquets we can deliver

Bouquet of 1 yellow sunflowers

$12

Bouquet of 1 pink lilies

$18

Bouquet of 3 red gerberas

$20

Bouquet of 3 red roses, 60 cm

$21

Examples for offices, hospitals and other tricky places

Office deliveries go wrong at reception, not at the door. Example: "Business centre, building B, reception on the ground floor. Recipient: Anna Petrova, marketing department, floor 4. If reception will not let the courier up, please call Anna to come down." Naming the department and floor helps when the receptionist does not know every employee.

Hospitals and maternity wards have their own rules, and in many of them flowers are not accepted on the wards at all. Example: "Maternity hospital, main entrance, information desk. Please call the recipient's husband on arrival, he will collect the bouquet." Before ordering, check with the family whether flowers are allowed and who will meet the courier; on discharge day, it is usually easier to deliver to the family's home than to the ward.

For restaurants, hotels and events, give the name of the venue, the time window when the recipient is actually there, and a contact on site: "Restaurant, table booked under Ivanov, deliver between 19:00 and 19:30, ask the host to bring the bouquet to the table."

Instructions for surprise and anonymous deliveries

Surprises need a little more planning, because the courier must reach the recipient without spoiling the moment. With us, delivery is anonymous by default and the courier does not name the sender, so you do not need to write "don't say who it's from". You only need to cover the logistics.

Example for a surprise at home: "Surprise birthday delivery. Recipient does not know. Please deliver after 18:00 when she is home from work." Example for a secret admirer: "Anonymous. Please do not mention any sender details." If you want a hint for the recipient, put it on the card, which is free, rather than in the instruction.

Keep in mind that the courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. That call rarely ruins a surprise, since the courier simply says flowers are on the way, but if you have a special plan, such as the recipient's partner opening the door, write that partner's phone in the notes and agree it with a manager.

Planning for the moment nobody answers

The best delivery instructions include a fallback. Even well-planned surprises meet closed doors: the recipient popped out to the shop, the phone is on silent, the office is on a long lunch. A single line such as "If not home, leave with the neighbour in flat 41" or "If no answer, please call me" turns a failed delivery into a short delay.

Here is how it works with us: if the recipient is not there, we agree a second delivery the same day or, with your consent, hand the flowers to a neighbour or concierge. Writing your preference in advance speeds this up, because the manager does not need to reach you across time zones before acting.

Avoid instructions that put the flowers at risk, such as "leave by the door" in an unheated stairwell in January. Cut flowers do not survive long in frost, and a bouquet left outside a door can wilt or simply disappear. A neighbour, concierge or second attempt is always the better option.

Writing instructions when you order from abroad

If you are ordering from another country, you can write your instructions in English; what matters is that the details are precise. Copy the address exactly as the recipient wrote it, including transliterated words like korpus, podyezd or kvartira, and keep the recipient's Russian phone number in full international format. If you wonder how the courier will talk to the recipient, read will the courier call the recipient in Russian only.

Timing belongs in the instruction too. Write it in the recipient's local time, since Russia spans many time zones. With us you can choose express delivery in large cities 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, an exact time (plus or minus 30 minutes), a window of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1-30 days ahead. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. Full details are on the delivery and payment page.

When the situation is unusual, a short chat works better than any note. Message a manager on WhatsApp to agree the time, address and card text, and ask for a photo of the bouquet before delivery. Payment is online on the site by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay.