Wayfair: Enhancing the customer experience with verified and more precise address entry
10.24% decrease in incorrect customer addresses
33.6% reduction in orders subject to carrier surcharges
22.1% decrease in customer service contacts for address changes
Nearly one in 10 delivery addresses were corrected, significantly improving delivery success rates
Eliminated more than one in five address-related customer service inquiries, freeing up customer support resources
Wayfair relies on Google Maps Platform Address Validation to transform its ecommerce operations, using address accuracy to streamline logistics and enhance customer experience.
Wayfair relies on Google Maps Platform Address Validation to transform its ecommerce operations, using address accuracy to streamline logistics and enhance customer experience.
Elevating the end-to-end customer journey
We chose Google Maps Platform for the comprehensive and accurate geolocation data that it provides. Google Maps Platform has empowered Wayfair to deliver precise and dependable services, ensuring our customers receive their products on time and enhancing their overall shopping experience.
Andrew Fake
Staff Engineer, Wayfair
In the fast-paced world of ecommerce, delivering products to the correct address at the right time is crucial. For Wayfair, a company that ships everything from small home decoration items to large furniture, ensuring accurate and timely deliveries is more than just a logistical challenge — it's a cornerstone of customer satisfaction. Occasionally, incorrect address information could lead to delays, misdeliveries, and customer frustration.
Wayfair's commitment to exceptional customer service set it on a mission to find a strategic solution. It needed something to seamlessly integrate into its existing online checkout process while providing the geolocation data accuracy necessary to elevate its end-to-end customer journey. That’s when it looked to Google Maps Platform.
"We chose Google Maps Platform for the comprehensive and accurate geolocation data that it provides," says Andrew Fake, Staff Engineer at Wayfair. "Google Maps Platform has empowered Wayfair to deliver precise and dependable services, ensuring our customers receive their products on time and enhancing their overall shopping experience."
Ensuring customers get timely, hassle-free deliveries
To improve its customer checkout experience, Wayfair implemented the Address Validation API and the Autocomplete feature of the Places API. These solutions work in tandem to help guarantee that customers provide accurate and complete address information during the checkout process. "We want to make sure that shopping is enjoyable and engaging," says Andrew Fake. "These Google Maps Platform capabilities ensure that customers receive their items faster and on time by eliminating possible address-related delays from the outset."
The Address Validation API verifies the customer's entered address against Google Maps Platform’s database, flagging potential issues or missing information. Meanwhile, Autocomplete assists customers as they type, suggesting accurate address completions and reducing the likelihood of errors caused by typos.
"Address Validation is a critical feature of Google Maps Platform for Wayfair's needs," Fake notes. "Ensuring accurate address information at the moment of checkout gives us confidence that deliveries won’t be delayed or misplaced, so customers can get their items faster and hassle-free."
Wayfair collaborated with Eviden, a Google Cloud Partner, to implement this solution. Eviden's expertise helped optimize billing, evaluate performance, and tailor Google Maps Platform to Wayfair's unique ecommerce needs. This partnership resulted in faster implementation, reduced development costs, and quick realization of improved address accuracy benefits across Wayfair's operations.
Delivering improved accuracy, reduced costs, and happier customers
Since the implementation, Wayfair has significantly improved key performance indicators (KPIs) that directly measure customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. "We focus on several crucial metrics," explains Fake. "Our primary KPIs include delivery accuracy rate, customer service contact frequency, and carrier surcharge occurrences. These metrics provide a comprehensive view of our customer experience and operational performance."
With Google Maps Platform, Wayfair noticed a 10.24% decrease in incorrect address occurrences, directly translating to more accurate deliveries. It also experienced a 33.6% decrease in orders subject to carrier surcharges, which benefits both the company and its customers. Additionally, enhanced address accuracy resulted in a 22.1% reduction in customer contacts related to address changes or incorrect data.
Ensuring accurate address information at the moment of checkout gives us confidence that deliveries won’t be delayed or misplaced, so customers can get the products they need faster and hassle-free.
Andrew Fake
Staff Engineer, Wayfair
Fake elaborates on how geolocation data is crucial to this success: "Google Maps Platform capabilities allow us to catch and correct delivery address errors in real time. This proactive approach improves delivery accuracy and reduces the strain on our customer service team."
The company measures progress through the continuous monitoring and analysis of these metrics. "By quantifying our improvements, we can see the impact of our technology investments," Fake notes. "These tangible results guide our ongoing optimization efforts."
Fake advises other retailers: "Understand your customers' current experience, conduct thorough testing, and establish clear, quantifiable metrics that align with your business goals. This data-driven approach allows you to measure progress accurately and justify technology investments. In our case, leveraging Google Maps Platform's geolocation data has enhanced customer satisfaction and operational efficiency."
Expanding address accuracy for omnichannel
The metrics we've seen since implementing Google Maps Platform validate our commitment to leveraging technology for enhanced customer satisfaction.
Andrew Fake
Staff Engineer, Wayfair
Next, Wayfair is exploring additional ways to use Google Maps Platform capabilities to optimize its operations and enhance customer experience. For example, the company's recent opening of a flagship store in Wilmette, Illinois, presents new opportunities to integrate online and offline experiences, with accurate address data playing a crucial role in bridging these channels.
In the competitive world of ecommerce, where every delivery counts, Wayfair will continue to innovate and grow, relying on its integration of Google Maps Platform to deliver on its commitment to exceptional customer service and operational excellence.
Wayfair is the destination for all things home, offering quality finds for every style and budget. With a seamless experience from inspiration to installation, Wayfair empowers everyone to create a space just right for them.
Industry: Retail
Location: United States
Products: Google Cloud, Google Maps Platform, Dynamic Maps, Places, Place Autocomplete, Address Validation API
About Google Cloud partner- Eviden
Eviden, a Google Cloud Partner, specializes in digital transformation and cloud solutions, helping businesses implement innovative Google Cloud technologies.
