What Is WISMO? 5 Strategies to Avoid It

Reduce WISMO calls and enhance customer satisfaction with effective route optimization from Circuit for Teams.
Have you ever heard of WISMO? It’s an acronym for “Where Is My Order?” Trust us: It’s a question that can be a real headache for eCommerce businesses.
Imagine this scenario: A customer orders a product from your online store and expects it to arrive within a week.
But their package runs late because of some unexpected sending delays.
They start getting anxious and decide to contact your customer support team, asking the dreaded question: “Where is my order?”
And just like that, you’ve got a WISMO situation on your hands.
This all-too-common customer service issue can take a toll on your customers’ satisfaction and loyalty.
But don’t worry. I’m here to help you supercharge your online store by enhancing the post buy experience and cutting down on those pesky WISMO calls.
In this post, I'll explain what WISMO is all about, explore its common causes, and share some strategies to keep it at bay.
Key takeaways

What does WISMO mean?
So, what’s the deal with WISMO?
It’s short for “Where Is My Order?” and pops up when customers start asking about their order status in the eCommerce world.
These questions can negatively affect customer satisfaction and loyalty, potentially leading customers to choose other retailers for future purchases.
Let’s face it: Nobody enjoys chasing down information about their order.
When customers feel like they’re left in the dark, they might start thinking, “Why bother with this retailer when so many other options are out there?”
Customers who have a smooth, stress-free experience with a retailer are more likely to return for future purchases and even recommend the store to friends and family.
On the flip side, if they’re constantly dealing with WISMO calls and unresolved issues, they might jump ship and give their business to a competitor with its act together.
And once they’ve found a more reliable retailer, chances are they won’t find back!
Common causes of WISMO
WISMO calls are so common in the eCommerce game for a bunch of reasons.
Here are some of the usual suspects:
Every once in a while, you encounter something major like a pandemic *cough cough* or an act of nature that can have a major impact on your ability to deliver orders.
For example, British fashion retailer ASOS had a terrible warehouse fire in 2014.
A major fire broke out at the company’s main warehouse, causing significant damage to their stock and resulting in order processing and shipping delays.
This situation led to a massive influx of WISMO calls and emails from customers who were left uncertain about the status of their orders and delivery times.
The financial cost of the ASOS warehouse fire was estimated at around £30 million in lost sales and damages to their inventory.
The company also experienced a temporary drop in their share price and damage to their reputation, as customers experienced delays and uncertainties surrounding their orders.

5 strategies to avoid WISMO
Consider these strategies to minimize WISMO calls and improve your customer satisfaction.
Offer real-time updates
Want to reduce WISMO requests? Give your customers the gift of real-time tracking information on a sleek, branded tracking page.
Customers love timely updates, leading to increased customer loyalty.
Retailers like Amazon are known for giving real-time updates through SMS and delivery notifications to keep their customers in the loop.
Real-time updates involve sharing instant and continuous information about a customer’s order status throughout the fulfillment and sending process.
It can include information like package location, estimated delivery date, and any changes during sending
You can send order updates through email, SMS, or a dedicated tracking page.
Or you can use software like Circuit for Teams to handle everything for you.
Circuit for Teams helps you make your last-mile deliveries more efficient than ever — plus, you can capture proof of delivery, send customers automated order updates, and more.
Benefits of real-time updates:
Set realistic expectations
If a retailer fails to deliver an item within two days of the promised date, 69 percent of shoppers are significantly less likely or somewhat less likely to shop with that retailer in the future.
One way to avoid this issue is to set realistic customer expectations.
Be transparent about your sending process, delivery estimates, and potential delays during checkout.
This helps manage customer expectations and reduces the likelihood of WISMO queries.
But how can you do that effectively? Meet Circuit for Teams.
Here’s how it can help:
Importance of setting expectations:
Tips for setting realistic expectations:
Implement proactive communication
Proactive communication is actively reaching out to customers with important information about their order status, sending updates, or delivery exceptions before they feel the need to ask .
ECommerce businesses that excel in proactive communication can maintain high customer satisfaction.
Customers who get timely and relevant updates on their orders feel like the business values and appreciates them. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction and a better overall customer experience.
Proactive communication involves sharing relevant and timely information with customers (such as order confirmations, sending updates, or delivery changes) without waiting for customers to initiate contact.
For example, a customer who places an order on Walmart’s website gets an order confirmation email and proactive communication through email and SMS updates. These updates include information about their order status, sending progress, and any potential delays or changes.
This approach helps customers feel informed and confident about their purchases, reducing the likelihood of WISMO queries and contributing to a positive shopping experience.
Offer self-service options
Self-service options allow customers to get information about their orders independently without contacting customer support.
By allowing customers to access information like their order status, tracking updates, and delivery details independently, they feel empowered and in control of their delivery experience.
This reduces the workload for your customer support team, minimizes the number of WISMO calls you get, and decreases support costs because your customer service team won’t be jam-packed with WISMO requests.
Self-service options include:
For example, Best Buy has a detailed support center to track packages and read FAQs for returns and exchanges. It also has a Shipping, Delivery & Store Pickup page to learn more about the different fulfillment options.
Personalize the customer experience
Personalizing the customer experience means making communication, offers, and support unique to each customer based on their preferences and needs.
For example, when dealing with WISMO concerns, personalizing the customer experience might involve using a customer’s preferred method of communication, such as email or SMS, to give order status updates.
With Circuit for Teams, you can easily personalize delivery updates by sending SMS or email notifications to customers with real-time delivery tracking information.
This allows customers to check an order status without calling customer support.

WISMO FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions related to WISMO and ways to address them.
What should I do if I experience sending delays?
If you experience sending delays, it’s important to communicate with your customers as soon as possible to manage their expectations.
Here are some ways to handle these kinds of situations:
How can I improve our WISMO process?
Improving your WISMO process involves addressing customer concerns and questions while minimizing the need for customers to reach out.
Here are some strategies to enhance your WISMO process:
How can I manage WISMO inquiries during peak seasons?
When peak seasons hit and WISMO inquiries start pouring in, it’s essential to have a game plan.
Consider expanding your customer service team during these busy times. Having more hands on deck means faster responses and happier customers.
Don’t forget about the power of chatbots and automated messaging systems.
These handy tools can automate answers to simple questions, allowing your team to focus on more complex issues.
Plus, it’s like having an army of robot assistants at your disposal!
Be proactive in sharing sending delays or issues through email, text, or social media updates to keep customers informed and minimize questions.
Customers appreciate being in the loop.
Use strategies to avoid WISMO in your business today
Understanding and addressing WISMO calls is essential for maintaining customer satisfaction and fostering brand loyalty in your eCommerce business.
By offering real-time updates, setting customer expectations, offering self-service options, and personalizing the customer experience, you can reduce WISMO calls and enhance the overall shopping experience.
Start implementing these strategies in your online store today to improve customer satisfaction and strengthen your brand reputation.
Circuit for Teams can also help you prevent WISMO calls by offering real-time tracking information and proof of delivery.
With dynamic stop status icons, dispatchers can find the real-time status of stops on an active route and make live changes to increase the chances of successful delivery.
Dispatchers can also add customer service contact details to the delivery information, offering a better delivery experience to customers who need help.
Plus, dispatchers can modify live routes and notify drivers about changes made, allowing for same-day updates and reducing the likelihood of WISMO calls.
Try Circuit for Teams free today and discover how it can help you reduce WISMO calls and improve your delivery management.