CHALLENGE

Rising parcel volumes strained customer support

Overseas Express is one of Croatia’s leading parcel delivery companies, specializing in domestic parcel delivery, eCommerce logistics and last-mile delivery services. As part of the Austrian Post Group, it operates within a broader European logistics ecosystem that supports cross-border parcel flows and the region’s growing eCommerce market.

As parcel volumes increased, so did the number of routine customer questions. Customers wanted quick answers about where their parcel was, when it would arrive or whether they could adjust a delivery option. Those questions came in through phone, email, Track & Trace and SMS, placing steady pressure on the customer support team, especially during peak eCommerce periods.

The challenge was not the complexity of each request. It was the volume. Support agents were spending significant time on the same tracking and status questions, which led to longer waits for customers and a heavier operational workload for the team. Overseas Express needed a scalable self-service channel that could provide instant parcel information, reduce pressure on agents and match the speed customers expected from digital communication for package delivery and ecommerce.

A WhatsApp chatbot built on AgentOS

To address this challenge, Overseas Express partnered with Infobip and Hrvatski Telekom to build a WhatsApp chatbot using AgentOS chatbot builder capabilities. The goal was simple: move high-volume, repetitive delivery questions into a familiar automated channel and give customers faster access to parcel information without needing to call or email support.

WhatsApp was a natural choice. It is already a familiar, widely used channel for customers, which made it easy for them to interact with Overseas Express as soon as they needed information. Instead of searching for a website, looking up contact details or waiting in a call queue, customers could open WhatsApp and get updates through a simple, guided conversation.

Infobip’s platform stood out for its natural language understanding, flexible chatbot configuration and integration capabilities. For a logistics use case, integration was critical. The chatbot needed to return accurate parcel information, not generic answers, so it was connected to Overseas Express’s internal tracking and logistics systems.

The implementation followed a phased approach. The teams first defined the most important customer service use cases, then designed the chatbot flows, connected the chatbot to Overseas Express’s internal shipment-tracking and logistics systems via API integration, enabling it to retrieve real-time parcel status and delivery information when a customer enters their tracking number. The teams then moved through testing and refinement before go-live. Working in phases helped keep the project focused and manageable, with the first release targeting the highest-volume delivery questions before expanding based on customer use.

Today, the chatbot covers the most common delivery-related needs. Customers can check parcel status, access delivery information and receive updates directly through WhatsApp without contacting an agent. The next phase will extend that self-service experience further, with guidance on delivery options such as parcel lockers and parcel shops, plus answers to frequently asked questions about available alternatives.

Collaboration with Infobip and Hrvatski Telekom was responsive and supportive throughout the implementation. Both teams provided technical guidance, implementation support and best-practice recommendations, with a clear understanding of the operational realities of parcel delivery. That combination of platform flexibility and local implementation expertise helped Overseas Express build a solution that fits its logistics environment and customer expectations.

60%+ fewer manual inquiries, 5× more self-service sessions

Since launch, the WhatsApp chatbot has seen strong adoption. The service started with around 5,000 sessions and now reaches 20,000–25,000 sessions during busy periods, driven by customer adoption, higher parcel volumes and greater awareness of the self-service option. During seasonal and eCommerce peaks, when call centers would traditionally be under the greatest strain, more customers are now choosing automated assistance instead of manual support.

That shift has reduced the volume of manually handled tracking and delivery-status inquiries by more than 60%, while creating a more scalable support model that reduces pressure during peak periods and enables better use of existing agent capacity. Customers can access delivery information faster and through a channel they already use, without waiting for an available agent. For the support team, that means less time spent on routine tracking questions and more time focused on complex cases that require human judgment or problem-solving.

The biggest customer benefit is convenience. Instead of waiting in a call queue or sending an email, customers can check delivery status in a familiar WhatsApp conversation and get the information they need in a simple chat interface. The experience feels faster, easier and more aligned with how customers already communicate every day.

Looking ahead, Overseas Express sees strong potential for further adoption of AI and automation in its logistics operations. The company is exploring more self-service options, more proactive delivery notifications and expanded chatbot functionality for delivery alternatives such as parcel lockers and parcel shops. Over time, those capabilities can help the company move from reactive communication to more predictive, proactive service that informs customers earlier, reducing uncertainty around deliveries and improving efficiency across both customer-facing and internal processes.

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