Updating your order statuses on Flowwow isn’t just about ticking a box; it’s about keeping your customers happy and loyal. When you let your customers know where their order is at every step, it builds trust and makes them feel valued. In this article, we’ll dive into why timely updates are so important.
Where to find your order information
All information regarding your active, upcoming and recently completed orders can be found in the ‘Orders’ section. You can use the filters to find a specific order or switch between them. Available filters include:
- Delivery date: ‘All’, ‘Today’, ‘Tomorrow’;
- Order status: ‘All’, ‘New’, ‘Accepted’, ‘Assembled’, ‘Handed over to the courier’, ‘Order completed’.
Completed orders are moved to the archive. You can find details about them in the web version of your personal account in the ‘Orders’ → ‘Archive’ section or by contacting our support team.
In case of order cancellation, you will receive a notification, and the order status will change to ‘Order cancelled by customer’. Such orders can be deleted from the list of all orders.
How to change the status of your order
Your order can have different statuses: 'New order', ‘Accepted’, ‘Assembled', 'Handed over to the courier', ‘Order completed’. Let's go through some examples of how to change your order status.
‘New order’ Status
- Click on an order to view its details: composition, photo of items ordered, amount paid, platform and card processing fees
- All new orders are available to employees assigned as ‘Director’ and ‘Manager’. Shop assistants will only see orders they have been assigned
- You will receive new order notifications via email and push notifications in the app
This status is shown when an order is placed but has not yet been accepted by the seller. To change this, go to the ‘Orders’ section, then ‘New’, select the desired order, and click ‘Accept’.
Why is it important to change the status?
Orders should be accepted within 90 minutes. However, customers often expect confirmation much sooner: if they don't see that the seller has started working within the first 10-15 minutes, many of them may cancel the order. If you haven't changed the status within this time, you will be reminded by an automated system — a robot will call the number specified in your account, or a Flowwow support chat agent will contact you.
Imagine a customer has ordered a bouquet for their friend's birthday, and it needs to be delivered within two hours. 30 minutes pass, and the order still hasn't been accepted. The customer starts to worry, decides not to risk, and cancels the order. They find another seller, which results in you losing the sale and potentially damaging your reputation.
It’s especially important to accept orders quickly and change the status in cases of gifts or urgent deliveries. Moreover, if an order isn't accepted on time, it will be automatically cancelled. Repeated automatic cancellations can result in penalties for the seller.
‘Accepted’ Status
This status indicates that the shop had received the order and started processing it. Here, you can assign the order to a different employee using the ‘Assign an employee’ button, and you can also select a courier.
To change it, send the customer a photo of the item.
- In the ‘Accepted’ status, a window will pop up for you to upload a photo.
- Add the photo of the order.
- After that, the status will automatically update to ‘Assembled’.
- Once a photo has been uploaded, the customer will receive a status change notification asking them to rate the item photo positively or negatively.
- Upload the order photo no later than 15-20 minutes before delivery. Customers should have enough time to rate the photo and provide feedback on whether they are satisfied with the item or not.
Important note! Allow 10-15 minutes for the customer to rate the photo. If the customer has not rated the photo, please go to the order chat and ask them whether they are satisfied. However, keep in mind that there is no need to delay the delivery.
Important note! If the customer has rated the photo negatively, please go to the order chat and ask them what exactly they didn’t like about the item to be delivered – then make changes to the order.
Why is it important to change the status?
Flowwow offers a unique feature — a photo of the order before delivery. For customers, this is an important quality guarantee: they can make sure that the gift meets their expectations. A delay in updating this status causes customers to doubt that the order will be completed to a high standard or delivered on time.
Imagine: a customer orders a surprise cake for a colleague and is expecting a photo before delivery. Time passes, but the photo doesn't arrive, and the client starts to worry whether the cake will actually look as they want it to. Without receiving confirmation, they decide to cancel the order, thinking that something has gone wrong.
‘Assembled’ Status
This status means that the order is ready for delivery.
Please note that the ‘Assembled’ status is only applicable to the following categories of goods: ‘Live plants’, ‘Tea & coffee shops’, ‘Confectionery & bakery’, ‘Flowers’.
Why is it important to update the status?
When a customer places an order, they are given an estimated completion time. If the shop promises to prepare the item within two hours, but the status remains ‘Accepted’ for longer, the customer may start to worry that their order is delayed. A lack of updates can lead to the customer canceling their order.
For example, a customer orders a flower arrangement for a specific delivery time. Two hours have passed, but the order status has not changed from ‘Accepted’ to ‘Assembled’. The customer panics and calls support to cancel the order, even though the bouquet is already ready. This situation could have been avoided by updating the status to ‘Assembled’ right away.
‘Handed over to the courier’ Status
This status confirms that the order has been picked up by the courier and is now on its way to the recipient.
Why is it important to change the status?
Once an order is with the courier, customers are particularly sensitive to delivery times. If the status isn't updated, they may start to worry that their order is delayed, lost, or that the courier may be going to the wrong address. This is especially important for urgent or time-sensitive orders.
For example, imagine a mother ordering a cake and pastries for her child's birthday with a specific delivery time. The courier is already on their way, but the status hasn't been updated, and she doesn't know if the order is ready or if there's a delay. This can cause a lot of anxiety, and the customer might call customer support to cancel the order or request more information. All of this could be avoided by simply updating the status in a timely manner.
‘Order completed’ Status
This status confirms that the order has been successfully delivered.
Why is it important to update the status?
If you don't update the order status to ‘Order completed’, you won't receive payment for that order. Also please notice, if a delivery is more than 15 minutes late, the shop might slip down the search results and get lower customer reviews.
Furthermore, it's extremely crucial to update the status for the sake of customers who are ordering for other recipients. If a delivery has been made but the status isn't updated, the customer may assume the order hasn't arrived, especially if they can't immediately contact the recipient. This can cause unnecessary panic, calling to support, and in the worst case, order cancellations and disputes. On the other hand, if an order hasn't been delivered but the status shows as 'Order completed', this can also lead to dissatisfaction and disputes.
For example, imagine a man orders a birthday gift for his girlfriend. He receives a notification that the order is complete, but his girlfriend says she hasn't received anything. The customer panics, contacts the store and demands a refund. The support team is required to intervene, and if the store still does not respond or provide an update on the order status, support will cancel the order— even if the courier is only slightly delayed.
Conclusion
Keeping order statuses updated promptly is a crucial part of a seller's role, directly impacting customer satisfaction and the reputation of both the platform and individual sellers. Failing to update order statuses after a purchase can lead to customer frustration, anxiety, or even cancellations. Moreover, non-compliance with these guidelines can result in penalties and a decline in store ratings.
To avoid these issues, shops and their staff should pay close attention to order statuses and update them in a timely manner. This not only builds trust with customers but also ensures more stable sales and a better shop reputation. Maintaining open communication with customers is key. Respond to customer inquiries promptly through the order chat, as this is your responsibility.
Remember to keep an eye on new orders and assess your shop’s workload realistically. If you find you're struggling to keep up with the volume of orders, use the 'Hide shop’ to temporarily pause new orders. To do this, toggle the switch in the top right corner of the 'Orders' section. To reopen your shop, simply toggle the switch again.
Important note!
- Do not click on the toggle multiple times; just one click is enough to hide your shop
- Hiding your shop will not affect previously accepted orders; they must be fulfilled
- If some of your items are out of stock, there’s no need to hide your shop. You can hide out-of-stock items individually in your catalogue in a similar way
Another way to manage your workload without hiding your shop is to use delivery slots and increase delivery fees during busy periods. To activate delivery slots:
- Go to your profile page, then 'Delivery settings' → ‘Delivery time slots’;
- Toggle the switch in the top right corner.
Now, set a comfortable number of orders for each slot, for example, three. When the fourth customer tries to place an order for that slot, they will be offered the option to pay a slightly higher delivery fee or choose a different time.
You can adjust each slot individually. The minimum number of deliveries per slot is 3. Our platform offers several standard numbers: 3, 5, or 8 deliveries. You can choose one of these or enter any number manually. For example, you could set a limit of 3 orders for the 11:00-12:00 slot and 7 for the 13:00-14:00 slot.
Need help or have any questions? Reach out to our Support chat – we're happy to assist!
