When customers don’t know where their order is, they call customer service to ask for the status, known as WISMO or “Where is my order?” calls or queries.
These WISMO calls generate a ton of customer inquiries about the status and location of their orders.
According to a report by BenchmarkPortal, WISMO queries account for 30% of customer service calls and cost $4 – $7 per call.
So if you get 1000 calls a week, 300 of them would be WISMO. That’s roughly $1200 to $2100 a week and could be more than $100,000 a year!
These numbers show the financial impact of WISMO inquiries, so it’s a big deal.
These queries not only increase support costs but also affect customer satisfaction.
Customers who don’t know where their order is will feel anxious and frustrated and have a negative view of your brand.
While WISMO calls are unavoidable, you should keep them to a minimum. Think of it as a barometer for a great delivery experience.
Too many status update queries can overwhelm your customer service team, leading to longer waiting times and angry customers, which can affect customer loyalty.
Also, imagine the frustration your support team would feel, dealing with the same questions day in and day out. It’s even worse during the holiday season when the volume is at its peak.
So, how can you reduce WISMO queries?
This article shares several strategies and describes WISMO, how it affects the bottom line, and more. So, let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
What is WISMO?
WISMO stands for ‘Where is my order.’ It’s a term used in the customer service industry to refer to customer queries waiting for their orders to be delivered.
These queries can be as simple as status updates to more complex questions about delivery delays or issues.
Here are some variations of this question:
- When will my package be delivered?
- Can you give me an update on my order?
- Why hasn’t my package been delivered yet?
You’ll get these queries after a delivery exception. A delivery exception occurs when a shipment is temporarily held up in transit due to an unforeseen circumstance.
Customers can even call before their items arrive, as they can be anxious and want to see into the fulfillment process.
Your customer service team can receive these queries through various channels, such as email, phone calls, social media, chatbots, and messaging apps.
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Common Causes of WISMO
Here are several reasons why you may get a lot of WISMO queries.
- No timely updates to customers about their order delivery status.
- Incomplete or unclear package tracking information.
- Delivery delays due to weather, carrier problems, or supply chain disruptions.
- Broad or vague delivery estimates.
- Poorly trained customer service team.
- Missing orders due to wrong address, delivery errors, or package misplacement during transit.
5 Ways to Reduce WISMO Queries
Here are some strategies to reduce WISMO calls and improve customer satisfaction.
1. Proactively Update Customers about their Order Status
Provide customers real-time tracking information about their order status throughout the fulfillment and delivery process. This could be the package location, estimated delivery date and time, or any changes during delivery.
You can use a route planner like Route4Me to proactively notify customers of order status, changes, and instructions to reduce their worries.
You can set up automated email notifications to be sent when an order is dispatched, out for delivery, or delivered. This way, customers are always in the loop about their order’s whereabouts.
The best part is that you can customize the text and design of the notification messages as per your requirements.
Plus, you can set specific time windows for each type of notification so messages are sent to customers only when they are available.
2. Offer Self-Service Tracking
According to a study by Digital Commerce 360, 93% of customers want to be informed throughout the delivery process. And 47% said they would stop ordering from a brand with poor delivery visibility.
To meet online shoppers’ demand, provide your customers with a self-service tracking page where they can follow the progress of their orders.
For example, Route4Me’s last-mile optimization solution offers a customized online tracking portal that’s easy to use and allows your customers to track shipment, order status, and delivery details on their own.
Customers can track their packages using a unique tracking number or ID from when they leave the warehouse until they reach their doorstep. They can use Route4Me’s Tracking Page Link directly or via the link sent by Email or SMS.
Therefore, with Route4Me, you can provide your customers with a seamless package tracking experience and reduce the need for them to call and ask about their order status.
3. Provide Accurate ETA
One of the best ways to reduce WISMO calls is to provide customers with an accurate estimated time of arrival (ETA) for their packages.
This reduces customer anxiety and plays a significant role in managing customer expectations, an essential aspect of logistics operations.
But, calculating an accurate ETA is hard.
You have to consider the driving time and the time to find a parking spot, offload, get to a particular floor of the customer’s building, and so on. So, delivering at some stops can take more time than others. This makes ETA calculation complicated.
However, Route4Me’s multiple stop route planner makes this job easy.
The software offers a ‘Service Time’ parameter that lets you quickly consider your team’s time servicing each address on every optimized route to provide an accurate ETA.
You just need to define the same or different service times for each destination on your routes. The route optimizer software will automatically compute the total route time and provide a more realistic and accurate duration for the complete route.
Route4Me’s vehicle routing and scheduling software even has a built-in commercial GPS tracker that helps you track your delivery vehicles in real-time.
So, if delivery delays are expected due to unexpected situations, like a mile-long traffic jam caused by a road accident. You can notify customers about such delays and keep them informed.
4. Protect the Packages
Protecting the packages is key to reducing customers’ anxiety about order status and the need to contact support.
Plus, customers will find you reliable and professional and will order from you again. This reduces WISMO calls and enhances your brand and customer loyalty.
So, how can you keep the packages safe and secure? Here are some ideas.
- Ensure the packages have clear addresses and handling instructions so they are delivered on time. Missed deliveries or lost packages are the top reason for WISMO queries.
- Use strong packing tape and tamper-evident seals to keep the packages intact and untampered during transit. This reduces the chances of missing items, which often leads to WISMO calls.
- Offer package insurance so customers have peace of mind that a replacement will be provided in case of theft or loss.
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5. Develop a Well-trained 24/7 Support Team
Having your customer service representatives well-trained and able to quickly resolve WISMO queries is key to reducing follow-up calls.
Good interactions with support can improve overall customer satisfaction. So, investing in staff training is not an expense but a strategic move to reduce support costs and improve customer experience.
You can schedule a training session for your support team once or twice a week. In addition, you can share detailed guidelines on prompt and efficient handling of customer queries.
Customer service representatives must be available 24/7 to reduce customer frustration and repeated inquiries.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about WISMO Calls
What is the impact of poor WISMO management?
How can customers be notified about their order status?
What information is typically included in WISMO updates?
How do delays in shipping affect WISMO?
How do packaging affect WISMO-related inquiries?
How can I manage WISMO inquiries during peak seasons?
Final Thoughts about WISMO Inquiries and Post Purchase Experience
WISMO or ‘Where is My Order’ calls are more than just a query. It’s your chance to improve delivery service and win customer trust. So, leave no stone unturned.
Use a multi-stop route planner to avoid delivery delays and send timely order status updates to your customers. Such software also has a tracking page where customers can track their order status themselves.
It will reduce WISMO calls, alleviate the burden on customer service teams, improve customer satisfaction, and increase repeat business.
Try Route4Me for 7 days for FREE and see how it can reduce WISMO calls and make delivery operations management seamless.
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