Support calls will be cut in half: how online order tracking saves the delivery service

Serhii Shypylov

• 3 min read
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Support calls will be cut in half: how online order tracking saves the delivery service

The problem: every order status is a potential call

The customer can’t see where their package is, so they call. Support spends time on the same questions.

Online tracking resolves these questions before they become a call.

Every clear status on the website means one fewer call to support.

What the customer should see on the tracking page

  • 📍 Order number and tracking number
  • 🕒 Current status and last update time
  • 🚚 Courier, branch, or pickup point
  • 📅 Estimated delivery date
  • 🔔 Event history
  • 🆘 “Need help” button with context

Practical breakdown of order statuses

Statuses should be designed not for internal logistics, but for the customer. Each status must answer the questions: “What’s happening now?” and “What happens next?”

1. Order created

The customer has just placed the delivery order. Support is often asked: “Can you see my order?”

  • ✅ Show the number and amount
  • ✅ State when processing will begin
  • ✅ Add a timeline: “Awaiting confirmation”

2. Order confirmed

An operator or the system has accepted the order. This is the moment when the customer should receive the first notification.

  • 📩 Email or SMS with details
  • 🧾 Status “Accepted for processing”
  • ⏱ Estimated preparation time

3. Being picked / packed

The customer wants to know whether they’ve been forgotten. The “Being picked” status relieves tension.

  • 📦 Show that the order is being assembled
  • 🕓 Update the expected shipment date
  • 🔔 Send a push notification if packing is delayed

4. Handed to the carrier

This is a key status. The customer receives the tracking number and can track it independently from there.

  • 🚚 Specify the carrier and tracking number
  • 🔗 Add a “Track with carrier” button
  • 📅 Show the new expected date

5. In transit

This is most often where calls arise: “Where is my package?” So the status should be as detailed as possible.

  • 🗺 Show the route or at least the current stage
  • 🕒 Add the last update time
  • 📍 Specify the city or branch where the package is now

6. Arrived at the branch / handed to the courier

The customer needs specific actions: when, where, and how to pick it up. Don’t make them call.

  • 🏬 Branch address or courier time window
  • 🆔 What to bring for pickup
  • ⏳ How many days the package is held

7. Delivered

The status should close the question definitively. But even here, it’s worth collecting feedback.

  • ✅ Delivery confirmation
  • ⭐ Delivery rating
  • 🧾 Receipt or documents

8. Problem / delay / return

These are the most sensitive statuses. If the customer sees only “Error,” they call immediately.

  • ⚠️ Explain the reason in plain language
  • 🛠 Suggest the next step
  • 📞 Provide a contact button, but with order context

Which notifications actually reduce calls

Notifications should be timely, short, and actionable. Don’t send everything indiscriminately.

  • 🔔 Order confirmation
  • 📦 Start of picking
  • 🚚 Handoff to carrier with tracking number
  • 📍 Arrival at the branch
  • 🚪 Courier has left or will arrive within 30 minutes
  • ✅ Delivered
  • ⚠️ Delay with a new date
The best notification is the one that arrives before the customer decides to call.

How to set up statuses so they work

  • 🧩 Unify statuses across the website, CRM, and carrier
  • 🔄 Update data automatically, not manually
  • 📝 Write in human language without internal jargon
  • ⏱ Show the last update time
  • 📱 Make the tracking page mobile-friendly
  • 🔗 Add a direct tracking link to every notification

Mistakes that increase support workload

  • ❌ Status “Processing” without details
  • ❌ Missing tracking number or carrier link
  • ❌ Notifications delayed by a day
  • ❌ Different statuses on the website and in SMS
  • ❌ “Call” button without order context

Conclusion

Online tracking is not just a map with a dot. It’s a system of statuses and notifications that relieves customer anxiety.

When a person sees a clear order journey, they don’t need to call. Support receives fewer routine questions and more time for complex cases.

The goal is not for the customer to visit the website more often. The goal is for them not to need to call.

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