Please Call Before Delivery: How to Arrange a Flower Handover
If you want to request “please call before delivery” when sending flowers with Pyat Tsvetov (5 Flowers), our courier already calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. Give the recipient’s telephone number with the order, and make any different request explicit, especially if you mean that the courier should call you, the sender.
Customers often ask us to keep a bouquet a surprise while making sure someone will open the door. Those wishes work best together when the arrival call is brief and practical: the recipient needs to be reachable, but the sender does not have to be named. At Pyat Tsvetov, we have been working with flowers in Saint Petersburg since 2011 and now have three shops of our own. Here is how to make your delivery instructions useful, particularly when you are arranging everything from abroad.
Make clear who should receive the call
“Please call before delivery” leaves one important detail unstated: whose phone should ring. For a straightforward handover, give the number of the person receiving the flowers and identify it as the recipient’s number. If you also provide your own number, label it separately so there is no confusion between the person at the address and the person placing the order. Include the country code, particularly when your own contact number is outside Russia.
A useful instruction is: “Please call the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival; the number provided belongs to them.” If you need a different arrangement, such as a call to the sender first, state that request clearly and discuss whether it can be accommodated by phone on 8 (812) 507-67-05. Our standard advance call is to the recipient. Avoid building your plans around a special calling sequence until the arrangement has been confirmed.
Choose a delivery time that fits the recipient’s day
A call shortly before arrival helps coordinate the final handover; it does not establish that someone will be home several hours earlier. Before ordering, check whether your recipient will be at home, at work or moving between addresses during the intended period. For someone with meetings or school collections, a suitable delivery window may be easier to manage than an arrival during a busy part of the day. Use the recipient’s local date and time when discussing the schedule.
We deliver flowers across Russia, with express delivery in large cities taking 1–2 hours after the order is confirmed. You can also arrange delivery at an exact time with a tolerance of plus or minus 30 minutes, select a window of 09–12, 12–15, 15–18 or 18–21, or pre-order 1–30 days ahead. In Saint Petersburg, delivery is available around the clock. Check delivery and payment details and choose a time when the recipient can reasonably answer the phone and receive the bouquet.
Bouquets we can deliver
Keep the surprise without making the handover difficult
A surprise bouquet still needs a workable way to reach its recipient. Our delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. The advance call therefore does not require revealing who ordered the flowers, although being contacted about an arrival may alert the recipient that something is coming. If the moment of discovery matters, plan for that practical limit rather than asking the recipient to remain entirely unaware until the door opens.
Decide separately whether your card should identify you. A card with your text is free, so you can sign your name, use a familiar nickname or leave the message unsigned. For a recipient who would find unexplained flowers unsettling, a recognisable signature can make the gesture more comfortable. Keep delivery directions out of the personal message: “Please call before arrival” belongs with the order instructions, while the card should contain the words you want the recipient to read.
Check the address and any language needs before ordering
The arrival call is most useful when the address is already clear. Check the city, street, building and flat or office number, and include relevant entrance or access details where you know them. For a workplace, use the recipient’s name and department if those details help identify the intended person. Our guide to confirming a recipient’s address can help you review the information before placing an order.
If your recipient does not speak Russian, mention their language needs when arranging the delivery and discuss the request by phone. Do not assume that an English-language order means the courier’s call will be in English. You can also tell the recipient in advance to expect a delivery call around the chosen time, without identifying the gift if you prefer. This is especially useful for someone who routinely ignores unfamiliar numbers or keeps their phone silent during work.
Plan for an unanswered call or an empty address
Being reachable matters just as much as being at the address. A recipient may be home but unable to hear the phone, or may answer while still travelling back. If you know they will be unavailable for part of the day, choose the delivery period around that constraint instead of relying on the courier’s call to resolve it. For a surprise, a simple reminder to keep their phone nearby can help without disclosing the sender or the bouquet.
If the recipient is not there, we agree a second delivery the same day or a handover to a neighbour or concierge with the sender’s consent. These are arrangements to be agreed, so do not assume that flowers will automatically be left with someone nearby. If a particular person would be a suitable alternative, explain that preference clearly and make sure your own contact details are correct. Consider whether the recipient would be comfortable having that person accept a personal gift on their behalf.
Order the bouquet and prepare for its arrival
Start with the bouquets catalogue, choosing with the recipient’s tastes and available space in mind. Then check the delivery address, recipient’s phone number, desired timing, card text and any calling request together before completing checkout. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. Online checkout uses CloudPayments, so customers ordering from abroad should check the payment options displayed there rather than assume a particular foreign card will be accepted.
Once the flowers arrive, moving them into a clean vase promptly helps the recipient enjoy the gift. Use fresh water, remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline and trim the stem ends with a clean, sharp tool before arranging them. Keep the bouquet away from radiators, direct sun and ripening fruit, and refresh the water regularly. If your recipient will be leaving immediately after the handover, choosing another delivery time gives them a better opportunity to put the flowers in water.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to request a call before flower delivery?
Our courier already calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. State any different request clearly, including whether you mean a call to the sender, and discuss the arrangement by phone.
Will the courier reveal who sent the flowers?
Delivery is anonymous by default, and the courier does not name the sender. You can identify yourself in the free card message if you want the recipient to know who sent the bouquet.
What happens if the recipient is not at the address?
We agree a second delivery the same day or a handover to a neighbour or concierge with the sender’s consent. Flowers are not automatically handed to someone else simply because the recipient is absent.
Can I ask for the courier’s call to be in English?
Mention the recipient’s language needs and discuss the request on 8 (812) 507-67-05. An order placed in English does not by itself confirm that the courier’s call will be in English.
Can I pay for a delivery to Russia from abroad?
Online checkout uses CloudPayments; check the options displayed at checkout for your payment method. Acceptance of every foreign-issued card is not guaranteed.
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