How ScrollEngine Upgraded Shopify Delivery Notifications to Reduce WISMO

Delivery notifications reduce WISMO (“Where is my order?”) contacts by answering the question before the customer asks it: a message when the order leaves, a tracking link to follow the driver, and a confirmation when it arrives. ScrollEngine learned this in two steps. By its own account, WISMO fell after automated delivery emails launched, and fell again once merchants could edit their messages and send them by SMS and WhatsApp.

The story at a glance

• Who it's about: Shopify merchants who run their own local delivery and same-day fulfillment with ScrollEngine. This is a product story, not one customer's.
• The problem: no built-in way to update customers, so “Where is my order?” calls piled up and drivers were interrupted on the road.
• What ScrollEngine built: automated email first; then editable templates, SMS, WhatsApp, driver push alerts, dashboard alerts and new-order sound alerts.
• The result, as published: WISMO Reduced Twice, once after automated email and again after customizable SMS and WhatsApp templates.

The challenge: no notifications meant high WISMO

Before ScrollEngine built any communication tools, merchants using it had no built-in way to send delivery updates from the app. No email, no SMS, no WhatsApp, no notifications of any kind.

WISMO is a common problem across e-commerce. DigitalGenius customer data from 2023 shows that around one in five e-commerce support queries asks "Where is my order?", rising to up to 40% at peak (vendor data). DigitalGenius, What is a normal WISMO rate (Mar 2023), vendor data

For merchants running their own deliveries, the gap set off a chain reaction.

1. Heavy WISMO volume

Customers kept asking the same questions:

• “Has my order been picked up?”
• “Is the driver on the way?”
• “When will it arrive?”

The questions spiked during peak delivery windows, exactly when teams had the least time to answer.

2. Manual communication stopped scaling

Merchants called customers, sent messages by hand, tracked orders manually and updated people one by one. As order volume grew, that became unmanageable.

3. Drivers faced constant interruptions

Without updates, customers phoned drivers directly. That slowed routes, delayed deliveries and led to distractions, errors and missed steps.

4. Customer trust dropped

With no visibility, deliveries felt uncertain and unprofessional.

Merchants needed automated, reliable delivery communication on more than one channel.

Step 1: automated email notifications

ScrollEngine's first answer was automated email notifications, sent as each order moved through delivery. Customers could now see where their order was without asking. Those early emails were automatic, clear and easy to adopt, though merchants could not edit them yet.

The impact, as ScrollEngine published it:

• WISMO dropped dramatically overnight.
• Customers stopped calling for basic updates.
• Drivers were no longer interrupted.
• Merchant teams regained hours previously lost to manual communication.
• Delivery operations became smoother and more predictable.

Email solved the most urgent problem: customers had no visibility. But merchants wanted more flexibility, their own tone of voice and faster channels.

Step 2: editable templates, SMS, WhatsApp and driver push alerts

As merchants scaled, they wanted more control over how and where customers heard from them. ScrollEngine responded with five additions.

1. Editable templates

Merchants can customize every message: brand tone, language and delivery instructions. Each message can carry the link to the branded tracking page, so customers follow the driver themselves instead of calling.

2. SMS notifications

SMS sends through a messaging provider the merchant connects, such as Twilio, and works across countries and carriers. It needs no data connection on the customer's phone, which makes it the channel for urgent, time-sensitive updates such as “out for delivery”.

3. WhatsApp notifications

WhatsApp is one of the most widely used messaging apps in the world, and merchants asked for it. ScrollEngine sends WhatsApp updates from message templates the merchant writes and gets approved. Customers hear from the store in an app they already use, which suits short, conversational updates.

4. Push notifications for drivers

Drivers get a push alert in the driver app when a new route is assigned to them, so nobody has to phone them to say their next run is ready. Driver emails cover the rest: a route is assigned, an assigned route changes, or a shipment on it changes.

5. Dashboard alerts and new-order sound alerts

One of the most common merchant requests was simple: “We need a sound notification for new orders so we don't miss anything.” ScrollEngine added dashboard notifications with a tone you choose, so the team hears each new order the moment it arrives, even when nobody is watching the screen.

Results: stronger communication, lower WISMO, faster operations

These are the outcomes as ScrollEngine first published them.

WISMO Reduced Twice

• After automated email.
• After customizable SMS and WhatsApp templates.

A more professional customer experience

Customers get consistent, branded messages on the channel they prefer.

Faster delivery execution

Driver push alerts improved responsiveness and on-time performance.

Zero Missed Orders

Sound alerts mean a new order is heard as soon as it lands, so preparation starts straight away.

Scalable for every merchant

Whatever the order volume, customer communication stays automated.

A delivery notification playbook that cuts WISMO

Most WISMO comes from a handful of moments. Cover each one with the right channel and most of the calls never happen:

Moment	Channel	What to include
Order placed	Thank-you page	The delivery date and time slot the customer booked
Out for delivery	SMS or WhatsApp	The tracking link, so the customer can follow the driver
Delivered	Email	Proof of delivery and a way to rate the delivery
Ready for pickup	SMS, WhatsApp or email	The pickup store and the slot the customer booked
Rescheduled	SMS or WhatsApp	The new date and time slot
Running late	Dashboard and Slack alerts for your team	At-risk alerts, so you can warn the customer before they ask

Four habits make the playbook work:

1. Start with “out for delivery” and “delivered”. They answer “Is the driver on the way?” and “Has it arrived?” before anyone has to ask.
2. Put the tracking link in every message about a delivery that is on its way.
3. Match the channel to the urgency. SMS and WhatsApp for “now” updates, email for confirmations and records.
4. Test with your own order. Move a test order through each status and check every message arrives with working links.

The step-by-step setup, including the ready-for-pickup message for pickup orders, is in Set up customer notifications.

What's next

Notifications are only half of delivery visibility; the other half is live tracking. Read how real-time tracking builds customer trust and why arrival visibility matters in last-mile delivery, or see everything ScrollEngine does after checkout in tracking and updates.

This story reflects one principle that still shapes the product: listen to merchants, and build solutions that grow with them.

Frequently asked questions

What does WISMO mean?

WISMO stands for “Where is my order?”: the calls, emails and chats customers send when they don't know where a delivery is or when it will arrive. For local delivery merchants they peak during delivery windows and land on store staff and drivers.

How do delivery notifications reduce WISMO?

They answer the question before the customer asks it. A message when the order leaves, with a tracking link, and another when it arrives, with proof of delivery, remove the usual reasons to call.

Which channels can ScrollEngine send delivery updates on?

Customers get email, SMS and WhatsApp updates. Email can go out through your own provider, such as SendGrid, Mailgun or SMTP. SMS and WhatsApp go through a messaging provider you connect, such as Twilio, and WhatsApp messages use templates that must be approved first. Drivers get push alerts in the driver app, and your team gets dashboard alerts.

Can I edit the delivery notification messages?

Yes. Every message template is editable, so you can match your brand's tone and language, add delivery instructions and include the tracking link.

Do drivers and staff get notifications too?

Yes. Drivers get a push alert in the driver app when a new route is assigned to them, plus emails when a route is assigned or changes. Your team can turn on dashboard alerts with a sound for every new order.

Ready to cut “Where is my order?” calls? Install Local Delivery + Pickup Date:S from the Shopify App Store and turn on your first delivery notifications.