What is WISMO and How To Reduce It?

WISMO impact on eCommerce business and WISMO reduction strategies.

“Where’s my order?” is a common question from shoppers and can make up a significant portion of customer inquiries, potentially affecting a brand’s customer loyalty and overall operational efficiency. This type of question can also impact a retailer’s bottom line. It is important for eCommerce businesses to effectively manage and track customer orders to prevent and address these types of inquiries.

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What is WISMO?

WISMO stands for “Where is my order?”, which is a common inquiry from customers when they haven’t received their orders or don’t know when to expect them.

It is typically used as an umbrella term for inbound customer inquiries, which can be received through various channels such as phone calls, emails, social media, chatbots, live chat, and SMS.

Responding to all these queries can be time-consuming, and if your business is not set up to minimize them and your team isn’t equipped to handle them efficiently, it can affect your business’s bottom line.

How WISMO affects your bottom line.

Ever-increasing consumer expectations require retailers to effectively communicate about the entire order journey and provide full visibility into when the order is expected to arrive.

Customer frustration is increased when stores fail to provide order processing and shipment updates. This is especially true for shipment delays and exceptions.
The lack of transparency during the post-purchase phase can be incredibly costly to online stores in multiple ways:

Customer support cost

Managing “Where Is My Order” inquiries can be very costly, and it takes time for the customer services team that could be better spent. Studies show that depending on support infrastructure, the average cost of manual customer service interaction may be as high as $12 and more [source]

Improving customer experiences doesn’t just drive brand loyalty and awareness, it’s a proven method of driving revenue for your business.

Reduction of brand and customer loyalty

It’s 5 to 25 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to keep an existing one [source]

Customer friction during the post-purchase can cause the loss of future business from dissatisfied customers.

It is important for eCommerce retailers to prioritize customer satisfaction and have systems in place to efficiently track and locate orders.

Increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits anywhere from 25% to 95% [source]

By reducing WISMO calls and providing a seamless post-purchase experience, you can improve customer satisfaction and build brand loyalty. This leads to increased revenue and a better bottom line for your business.

6 Steps to Reduce WISMO, Increase Brand Loyalty and LTV.

Today’s consumers expect retailers to provide them with clear updates as to where their order is throughout the entire order journey through their preferred channel.

One of the best ways to reduce WISMO calls is to set clear expectations with your customers from the outset. When a customer places an order, send them an email with the estimated delivery date and a link to the branded tracking page. Branded tracking page provides your customers with real-time tracking information. Real-time tracking allows your customers to see where their package is at any given time through your brand’s voice, which can help alleviate their concerns and reduce the number of WISMO calls.

In addition, set up automated notifications to update customers on the status of their orders so they don’t need to contact you for updates. These notifications should be sent when the order is fulfilled and shipped, ready to be delivered. The delivery confirmation is also helpful to show customers that you strive to improve and can include feedback and a review questionnaire.

Late delivery and shipment-related exception notifications are crucial. They help manage customer expectations and lower their dissatisfaction.

  1. Set clear expectations by including delivery estimates during the checkout process and provide real-time shipping updates throughout the order journey.
  2. Enhance the customer experience and strengthen brand loyalty by including branded tracking pages with every order. Customers track their orders 3 to 6 times on average.
  3. Provide helpful information, display social feeds, engage in relevant up-sell, and cross-sell during the time when your customers are most receptive.
  4. Keep your customers in the know through their preferred methods of communication, including email and SMS.
  5. Include shipping FAQ.
  6. Proactively notify customers about shipping delays and exceptions.

Reduce WISMO with WISMOlabs post-purchase experience platform by up to 90%.

Reducing WISMO inquiries starts with improving  post-purchase experience by utilizing the innovative solutions provided by WISMOlabs. 

WISMOlabs is a post-purchase experience platform that helps ecommerce retailers reduce WISMO calls, increase revenue, and build brand loyalty. The platform provides a branded tracking page, real-time tracking information, and automated notifications to keep customers informed about their orders.

WISMOlabs post-purchase communication platform specifically designed to add a transperancy and trust to post-purchase phase, enhancing the customer’s experience and satisfaction.

Merchants significantly improve the overall post-purchase experience for customers, ultimately leading to a decrease in the number of WISMO calls, happier customers, and improved LTV with tools like:

Instant Shipment Notifications

Fully Customized Branded Tracking Pages

Personalized Marketing during the time when customers are most receptive

Real-time visibility on post-purchase logistics

Conclusion

In conclusion, WISMO calls are an unavoidable part of running an ecommerce business. However, by setting clear expectations, providing real-time tracking information, and using a branded tracking page, you can reduce the number of calls you receive and improve customer satisfaction. And, with the help of WISMOlabs, you can take your post-purchase experience to the next level and achieve even greater success as an ecommerce retailer.

Frequently Asked Questions

A WISMO call is a customer service inquiry from a customer who wants to know the status of their order. The term “WISMO” stands for “Where is my order?”

WISMO calls can be a major drain on customer service resources, as they often require a significant amount of time and effort to address. In addition, if customers are not satisfied with the information they receive, they may become frustrated and even cancel their order or leave negative reviews.

WISMO can have a significant impact on your business’s bottom line, as each customer service inquiry requires time and resources to address. According to some estimates, each WISMO call can cost a business anywhere from $5 to $25 or more, depending on the complexity of the inquiry and the amount of time required to address it. By implementing strategies to reduce WISMO calls, such as using a branded tracking page and providing proactive updates, you can help reduce these costs and improve the overall efficiency of your logistics processes.

There are several steps you can take to reduce the number of WISMO calls and WISMO inquiries you receive, such as setting clear expectations about shipping times and providing real-time tracking information. Additionally, using a branded tracking page can help improve customer satisfaction, reduce the likelihood of calls, build brand loyalty, and generate repeat sales.
A branded tracking page is a customized tracking page that displays your company’s logo and branding, rather than the carrier’s branding. By providing customers with a branded tracking page, you can reinforce your brand and build trust with customers, which can lead to fewer WISMO calls. Read more about branded page here.

In addition to using a branded tracking page, you can also consider providing proactive updates and notifications about order status, such as sending an email or SMS message when the order ships. You can also use data and analytics to understand your customers’ post-purchase behavior and identify areas for improvement in your logistics processes.

WISMOlabs provides a range of post-purchase customer experience solutions, such as personalized post-purchase notifications, emails and SMS, branded tracking page, real-time tracking, and post-purchase marketing tools.  Additionally, by providing valuable data and insights about your customers’ post-purchase behavior, WISMOlabs can help you tailor your post-purchase experience to meet their needs and reduce the likelihood of WISMO calls.