Buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) and curbside pickup remain big growth drivers for retailers, yet the hand-off from web cart to parking-lot delivery too often stalls in voicemail loops and missing order numbers. A savvy contact-center layer can keep lines moving, cut fraud, and boost repeat business—without adding headcount to every storefront.
Real-time channel shifts keep shoppers informed
A customer who clicks “I’m on my way” in the app may call two minutes later to change the vehicle color on file. Using a single omnichannel call-center platform means agents see the push-notification thread and the live voice call in one timeline, so no one asks for the license plate twice.
Proactive texts reduce parking-lot dwell time
Automated SMS updates—triggered the moment an order is staged—slash “Where is my order?” calls. When a buyer replies, a rules-based inbound workflow routes car-side changes (add a gallon of milk) to store runners, while payment glitches escalate to billing specialists.
Voice analytics sniff out curbside fraud
Gift-card fraudsters love curbside anonymity. Real-time sentiment tools like those highlighted in this look at advanced voice analytics flag hesitation or scripted answers, prompting extra ID verification before merchandise ever leaves the door.
Agents armed with flexible playbooks
Inventory swaps happen when size M is out but size L is available. A streamlined knowledge base, refined through a rigorous agent-training process, lets advisors propose substitutes without long holds or supervisor pings.
PCI and PII secured under one roof
Curbside calls can expose partial card numbers and driver’s licenses. An operation grounded in a hardened security and compliance framework records calls in an encrypted vault and masks payment data on screen, keeping every audit box ticked.
Staffing flexes for weekend surges
Order volume can triple on Saturday afternoons. Forecasting models and shared talent pools—best practices detailed in these workforce-management advantages—ramp agents for peak windows and scale down by Sunday night.
Early wins from a regional grocery chain
| Metric | Before | After contact-center revamp |
| Avg. wait in pickup lane | 11 min | 6 min |
| “Where is my order?” calls | 1 per 3 pickups | 1 per 9 pickups |
| Fraudulent chargebacks (monthly) | 42 | 17 |
| Repeat BOPIS usage | 62 % | 79 % |
Quick-start checklist
- Map every BOPIS touchpoint—app, email, IVR—to a single ticket ID.
- Push “ready for pickup” SMS with two-way response for last-second changes.
- Enable real-time analytics on curbside calls to flag potential fraud.
- Benchmark dwell time and repeat-order rate using these contact-center performance guidelines.
A streamlined contact-center strategy turns curbside hand-offs from organized chaos into a loyalty-building moment—proof that the last mile sometimes ends in your parking lot, not at the front door.
