What is contact-to-order ratio?
Contact-to-order ratio is the number of customer service contacts a retailer receives for every order placed in the same period, usually expressed as a percentage. It shows how much support demand each order creates. In general, a lower ratio means customers are getting what they need without having to get in touch.
Also called: contacts per order, CPO, contact rate, tickets per order, tickets per 100 orders
Why contact-to-order ratio matters
Total ticket volume rises when a store sells more, so on its own it says little about how well the operation is running. Contact-to-order ratio puts support volume in proportion to sales. If contacts grow in line with orders, the ratio stays flat. If it climbs, something is creating extra contacts, such as late deliveries, unclear product information or a confusing return policy.
The ratio is most useful when it is broken down by contact reason, such as WISMO, returns or product questions, because that shows where the extra demand is coming from. It is also called contacts per order (CPO), and some teams report it as tickets per 100 orders. Contact rate is a broader term whose denominator can be customers or accounts as well as orders.
How it's calculated
Contact-to-order ratio = (customer service contacts ÷ orders) × 100
Worked example: 500 contacts and 2,000 orders in a month give a ratio of 25%. That is the same as 0.25 contacts per order, or 25 contacts per 100 orders. Count contacts and orders over the same period, and remove spam and duplicate tickets before calculating.
Example
In October, a home goods retailer takes 10,000 orders and receives 2,000 contacts, a ratio of 20%. In November, orders rise to 14,000 and contacts to 3,200, a ratio of 22.9%. Contacts grew faster than orders. A breakdown by contact reason shows the extra volume is WISMO, caused by carrier delays, which points the team toward proactive delay notifications.
Contact-to-order ratio and DigitalGenius
DigitalGenius shows ticket volumes and how they are trending in its dashboard, and teams can ask in plain English which contact reasons are behind them.
Related terms
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FAQ
What is a good contact-to-order ratio?
There is no universal benchmark, because product type, order value and the number of items per order all affect how often customers get in touch. Lower is generally better. Track your own ratio over time and by contact reason, and compare peak periods with the same period last year.
Is contact rate the same as contact-to-order ratio?
Not always. Contact-to-order ratio always divides contacts by orders. Contact rate is a broader term, and some businesses divide contacts by active customers or accounts. Check the denominator before comparing figures.
How do you reduce your contact-to-order ratio?
Find the contact reasons that are growing fastest and fix their causes. Common fixes include accurate delivery dates at checkout, proactive messages when an order is delayed, clearer product information and simple self-service for returns and order changes.
· By Iain Moss