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Where Is My Order?
AKA: WISMO
Since 2019, Where Is My Order? (WISMO) calls have consistently accounted for approximately 10% of all customer service inquiries at Kohl’s. In 2021 alone, the direct cost of handling these calls exceeded $1 million, excluding the additional burden of customer dissatisfaction and operational remediation.
Tools: Figma, Miro
Role: Product Designer
Team: Order Lifecycle Balanced Team
Timeline: Three weeks
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Design Challenge
With peak season just 30 days away, our challenge was clear: implement rapid, low-tech, user-centered solutions to reduce this volume and improve the post-purchase experience—without sacrificing delivery transparency.
Discovery & Research
Insights & Research
To understand why customers were reaching out to customer service with WISMO (Where Is My Order?) concerns, we conducted a multi-layered research sprint combining behavioral analytics, usability testing, and internal team interviews. The following insights directly informed our low-tech, high-impact solutions:
1. Click Behavior Exposed UX Misalignment
We analyzed click tracking data from the desktop Order History page and discovered that the Order/Receipt Number link had the highest engagement.
Customers consistently clicked on the "Order/Receipt#" expecting tracking updates, revealing a core disconnect between interface labeling and user intent
2. UserZoom Testing Validated
Friction Points
We conducted a remote unmoderated usability test using UserZoom with a clickable prototype. Participants were given a task to track a recent order.
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8 out of 10 participants clicked the wrong link on their first attempt.
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Users verbalized confusion over whether items were shipped together or separately.
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Multiple users stated the tracking link and order details looked too similar.
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Estimated Delivery Date emerged as the most valuable piece of information users sought.
3. Call Listening + Agent Feedback Confirmed Gaps
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Through customer service call reviews and live agent interviews, we confirmed:
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High volume of WISMO calls resulted from confusing or missing tracking links
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Agents struggled to assist due to inconsistent link formats and broken carrier URLs.
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The vague statuses "In Fulfillment" and "Complete" often added confusion rather than clarity.
4. Terminology & Timing Were Key Pain Points
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The terms “In Fulfillment” and “Complete” did not clearly indicate shipping progress.
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Narvar’s pre-scan delivery dates led to false expectations and unnecessary calls.
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Tracking information in email vs. digital channels was inconsistent, creating confusion across touchpoints.
Solution Strategies
To meet the 30-day deadline and avoid high-tech dependencies, we focused on lightweight, scalable changes grounded in real user feedback and operational insight:
1. Removed Misleading Delivery Estimates from Narvar
Insight: Narvar displayed estimated delivery dates before carriers scanned packages, often leading to false expectations and customer frustration.
Hypothesis: Removing early delivery dates would reduce confusion and minimize overpromising.
Action: We worked with the Narvar integration team to temporarily remove pre-scan estimates and align the experience with actual carrier data.
Result: This eliminated contradictory information and restored trust in the delivery timeline.
2. Improved Order Tracking UI and Clarified Status Messaging Across Platforms
Insight: Usability tests and click behavior revealed that users often clicked the Order/Receipt Number, mistakenly thinking it was a tracking link. Additionally, vague status labels like In Fulfillment or Complete misled customers into believing their orders had shipped—triggering WISMO calls.
Hypothesis: By restructuring the Order History interface and removing or clarifying ambiguous terminology, we could reduce customer confusion and prevent unnecessary calls.
Action:
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Redesigned the Order History experience across desktop, mobile web, and native app, placing clear tracking information and delivery status front and center.
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Visually separated the Order ID from tracking links to reduce misclicks.
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Removed or replaced unclear labels such as In Fulfillment, based on real user feedback and agent input.
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Conducted additional testing through UserZoom to ensure users could accurately interpret their order status without assistance.
Result: Users reported greater clarity and confidence when locating their tracking information. Support teams noted a measurable decrease in calls related to order status misunderstandings
3. Cleaned Up and Standardized Tracking Links
Insight: Between 12–15% of tracking links were broken, outdated, or mapped to incorrect carrier URLs. Most email tracking links used Narvar, while digital interfaces pointed directly to carrier sites—creating inconsistent experiences.
Hypothesis: Centralizing all tracking through Narvar would streamline user understanding.
Action:
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Audited all tracking link mappings across desktop, mobile, and app.
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Migrated 91% of URLs to Narvar-based experiences, standardizing the tracking journey.
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Initiated a longer-term automation plan to prevent link degradation across platforms.
Result: Fewer broken links and a uniform, branded tracking experience.
Results & Business Impact
The WISMO Quick Win initiative produced rapid, measurable results—and its design impact has scaled over time:
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WISMO call volume dropped by 400 basis points YoY, surpassing the original 2–3% reduction goal.
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Partial Package Delivery-related complaints were reduced by 70%, directly improving customer satisfaction.
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User testing confirmed faster task completion and improved comprehension of tracking and delivery status.
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Call agents reported fewer escalations, thanks to improved UI clarity and consistent tracking links.
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$222,000 in service cost savings was recorded in just the first 4 weeks post-launch.
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Projected savings over 4 fiscal years (if sustained): $10.65 million, reflecting the long-term value of strategic, user-centered design.
Note: Due to the sensitive nature of Kohl’s financial data and customer operations, specific internal metrics and full documentation are excluded from this case study.
My Reflection
This project marked my very first assignment at Kohl’s, launched within just three weeks of joining the team. I was new to the company, new to the tools, and yet entrusted with a high-impact, time-sensitive challenge that spanned multiple departments.
Despite those hurdles, I led with empathy, insight, and speed—quickly building relationships across Customer Experience, Order History, Wallet & Account, and Engineering. I grounded every design decision in real user pain points and agent feedback, using research to influence outcomes even in areas outside my direct ownership.
More than a “quick win,” this initiative became my onboarding-through-impact moment. It taught me that great UX isn’t just about design—it’s about clarity, collaboration, and courage under pressure. The experience cemented my belief that thoughtful, user-centered solutions can create extraordinary value—for both customers and the business
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