Transforming the Post Purchase Experience

The Shopper Portal transformed support from a fragmented, channel-based experience into a single, intelligent destination that answers all order related questions in one place.

ROLE

Product Designer

CO-DESIGNER

Ailin Magali Lopez

PLATFORM

ESW Shopper Portal

PROJECT TYPE

B2C

ESW's shopper support experience was fragmented across multiple channels, requiring shoppers to navigate FAQs, submit tickets, contact customer support, or search independently for answers. This created unnecessary effort for shoppers while increasing case volumes for Customer Service teams.

The goal of the Shopper Portal was to create a unified self-service destination where shoppers could resolve their most common queries instantly through AI-powered conversations, guided workflows, and centralized support content. The solution aimed to improve customer satisfaction, increase self-service adoption, and reduce operational workload for Customer Service teams.

CONTEXT

ANALYTICS

Delivery anxiety dominates — WISMO (Past + Before EDD) accounts for 54% of all queries, meaning over half of tickets are simply customers asking where their order is.

Pie chart titled "Zendesk Tracking Queries" showing distribution of different types of tracking requests with percentages: LIT Order (25%), WISMO (Past EDD) (32%), WISMO (Before EDD) (22%), RTS Request/Stop Flag Request (9%), Only EDI Received (7%), Held in Customs (2%), Manifested - Shortage (2%), Missing ASN (1%).

WISMO (Past EDD) — 32% "Where Is My Order" queries where the estimated delivery date (EDD) has already passed. The customer's package is late and they're checking in

LIT Order — 25% "Lost In Transit" — the shipment appears to have gone missing between origin and destination with no tracking updates for an extended period

WISMO (Before EDD) — 22% Same "Where Is My Order" query, but the delivery window hasn't expired yet. The customer is just anxious or wants a live update

RTS Request / Stop Flag Request — 9% "Return To Sender" — the customer or business wants the package recalled, intercepted, or flagged before delivery

Only EDI Received — 7% The system received the electronic data interchange (shipping label/manifest data) but the carrier hasn't physically scanned the package yet — so there's no movement to show

Held in Customs — 2% International shipments stuck in customs clearance, awaiting documentation, duties, or inspection

Manifested – Shortage — 2% The shipment manifest says items should be there, but a shortage was flagged — fewer items or packages than expected

Missing ASN — 1% No Advance Shipping Notice was received, so the warehouse or recipient has no pre-alert for an incoming shipment

MAPPING OUT ENTRY POINTS

I mapped out various entry points the shopper might in order to

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Ensure seamless experience
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Avoid duplication of task
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Keep the look and feel in tact
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Flowchart diagram showing the customer journey for an e-commerce website, starting from the website homepage, chat support, retailer website, email communication, return process, direct URL access, help center, and customer service, culminating in the shopper portal.

MARKET STUDY

DHL's tracking webpage with a search bar, FAQs, an invitation to explore careers, and an image of two people in red and yellow DHL uniforms on a yellow background.

Screenshot of a postal tracking webpage from An Post, with sections for tracking items, setting up a safe spot, FAQs, help support, customer feedback, resources, and social media links.

Webpage screenshot of GLS parcel tracking page with input field for parcel numbers, a reset button, and a yellow search button, along with navigation links and footer.

Screenshot of a digital interface displaying multiple webpages related to order tracking and customer support, with sticky notes pointing out features and issues for each section.

HEURISTIC EVALUATION - CURRENT TRACKING PORTAL UI

CHALLENGES

Fragmented Post-Purchase Experience

The post-purchase journey was spread across multiple touchpoints, requiring shoppers to navigate different support articles, contact forms, tracking pages, retailer websites, and customer service channels to find answers.

Impact

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Increased shopper effort
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Inconsistent experiences
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Longer resolution times
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Higher support contact rates
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Multiple Dependencies

Resolving shopper queries required information from multiple systems (Order Management Systems, Carrier APIs, Returns Platforms, Payment Systems, Customer, Service Tools and Retailer-specific integrations)

Impact

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Complex user journeys
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Delayed feature delivery
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Inconsistent data visibility
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Operational overhead
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Siloed Product Ownership

Different teams focused on specific domains (Orders team → Order tracking, Returns team → Returns & refunds and Payments team → Payment-related queries)

Impact

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Inconsistent user flows
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Duplicate functionality
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Different design patterns
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Lack of a single shopper experience
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Support-Centric Rather Than Shopper-Centric

Many existing journeys were designed around internal processes.

For example:

Internal view : "This is a returns issue"

Shopper view : "I need help"

Shoppers don't think in departments. They think in goals and outcomes.

OPPORTUNITIES

The greatest opportunity was to move away from a fragmented, department-led support model and create a unified post-purchase experience that mirrors how shoppers think and behave. By centralizing support, introducing intent-based navigation, and reducing dependence on multiple channels and teams, the Shopper Portal could become a single destination where shoppers find answers faster, resolve issues independently, and access every post-purchase service in one place. This not only improves the shopper experience but also reduces operational complexity and customer service workload while creating a scalable foundation for future omnichannel capabilities.

Create a Single Destination for Every Query

Move from multiple portals

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Track Order → Different portal
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Return Item → Different portal
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To unified portal

One Portal → Ask Any Order related query → Problem resolved

Intent-Based Navigation

Move from department

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Orders
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Shipping
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Payments
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Returns
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To shopper goals:

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Where is my order?
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I want to return an item
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When will I get my refund?
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My item is missing
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Introduce AI-Powered Resolution

"I haven't received my order"

The portal identifies the intent and guides the shopper directly to resolution.

By automating and centralizing high-volume enquiries, Customer Service teams can focus on :

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Complex investigations
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High-value interactions
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Escalations
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GUIDING QUESTION

"How might we create a post-purchase experience that helps customers clearly understand their order status, trust information they receive, and confidently take action when issues arise across multiple touchpoints?"

USER PERSONA

Success was measured by the platform's ability to help shoppers resolve issues independently while reducing operational workload for Customer Service teams. Key metrics included self-service adoption, task completion rates, customer satisfaction, reduction in support contacts, and overall cost-to-serve.

User Profile

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Shops internationally online
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Expects immediate answers and transparency

Uses mobile devices for most interactions

Wants quick resolutions without contacting support

Emma, The Online Shopper

User Goals

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Track an order
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Return an item
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Check refund status
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Cancel or amend an order
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Resolve issues independently
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Pain Points

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Doesn't know where to find information
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Has to contact support for simple questions

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Waits too long for updates
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Gets redirected across multiple channels

User Profile

Manages large volumes of shopper enquiries

Uses multiple tools to access order information

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Handles both simple and complex cases
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Michael, Customer Service Agent

User Goals

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Reduce repetitive contacts
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Resolve cases efficiently
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Focus on high-value issues
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Access information quickly
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Pain Points

High volume of "Where is my order?" tickets

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Repetitive enquiries
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Time spent answering questions that could be self-served

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Context switching between systems
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TRADE OFFS

The vision for the Shopper Portal was to encourage shoppers to adopt AI-powered self-service and reduce reliance on traditional support channels. However, there were two key considerations:

The AI capability was still in its early stages.

Shopper preferences varied significantly across user groups.

At the time of testing, the AI experience could provide information such as:

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Order tracking status
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Refund status
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Return status
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However, it could not yet perform actions on behalf of shoppers or Customer Service teams such as:

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Cancelling orders
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Amending orders
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Processing exceptions
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Creating support cases
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Executing return-related actions
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As a result, shoppers with more complex queries would still require escalation paths. The recommendation was based on two principles:

Validate user behaviour, not rely assumptions or personal bias

Sunset the feature if the data proves the shoppers are not longer interacting with Submit a request, FAQ or Support Articles respectively

NAVIGATING CONFLICTING PERSPECTIVES

AI Team

Believed conversational AI would become the primary support channel

Expected low usage of FAQs, support articles, and 'Submit a Request'

Customer Service Team

Concerned that removing traditional support channels too early would frustrate shoppers and increase unresolved enquiries

UX Perspective

While younger shoppers may be more comfortable interacting with conversational AI, not all customers share the same expectations or behaviours. The portal therefore needed to support a wide range of user preferences rather than optimizing solely for AI adoption

Some shoppers may:

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Prefer self-service
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Trust human support more than automation

Use support articles before contacting an agent

Escalate immediately when dealing with expensive or time-sensitive orders

KEY TAKEAWAYS

This project was not about maximizing AI usage; it was about helping shoppers resolve issues in the way that worked best for them. The decision to keep the "Submit a Request" option reflected a user-centered approach that balanced innovation with accessibility, while acknowledging that the AI capability had not yet reached the level required to replace human support entirely.

Rather than replacing traditional support channels with AI immediately, the strategy focused on gradual adoption and behavioural validation. By retaining existing support options while collecting real-world usage data, the team could make future decisions based on evidence, reduce implementation risk, and ensure the experience remained inclusive for shoppers with different levels of digital confidence and support preferences.

HIGH FIDELITY UI

Screenshot of ESW Shopper Portal homepage with search box, popular queries, and support topics such as About ESW, Order Status, Shipping, Payments, and Returns. Footer includes company information, resources, legal links, and social media icons.

Screenshot of an online shopping chatbot interface showing order details, including items like a wool wrap coat and denim dress, with order status and shipping information.

I created a Lovable prototype to demonstrate the vision and encouraged the stakeholders to ask any order related queries so that I can refine the responses (including fallbacks!)

View prototype