Sales workflows
Send shipping updates at four points, not one vague message
Send useful shipping updates before dispatch, after loading, before arrival, and when customs stalls. Include tracking, carrier, ETA, and documents the buyer must provide.
"Shipped already" tells the buyer nothing they can plan with. A useful update includes the document number, the carrier, the expected arrival, and the one action the buyer must take.
Four moments matter: before dispatch, after loading, before arrival, and when customs raises a problem. Each needs a different message.
Before dispatch: confirm readiness, not departure
Send this when production is complete and the booking is confirmed. State the planned dispatch date, the carrier or forwarder, and the documents being prepared.
Ask for anything the buyer must supply before loading: shipping marks, importer details, or a letter of authorization. Name a deadline.
- Planned dispatch date and cut-off.
- Carrier or forwarder and booking reference.
- Documents in preparation.
- Items the buyer must send, with a deadline.
After loading: give the identifiers
Once the container or parcel leaves, send the bill of lading number, container number, carrier, vessel or flight, and the estimated arrival date. Attach the commercial invoice and packing list if the buyer has not received them.
Say what is still pending. If the original bill of lading has not been released, say when it will be. Buyers plan customs clearance around that document.
- Confirm the actual departure date, not the booking date.
- Send the tracking or bill of lading number in the first line.
- State the ETA and the port or airport.
- List documents already sent and documents still pending.
Before arrival: prepare the buyer
One week before arrival, send a short reminder with the ETA, the destination terminal, and the documents the buyer needs for clearance. Include the contact for the destination agent if there is one.
This is also the moment to repeat any destination charges the buyer is responsible for. Surprises at the port cost more than a clear message now.
When customs or the carrier reports a problem
Send the problem, the requested action, and the deadline in one message. Name the authority or agent who raised it, and quote the reference number.
Do not guess the cause. If you do not know why the container is held, say that you are checking and give the time of your next update.
- Who reported the issue and under which reference.
- The exact action requested.
- The deadline and the consequence of missing it.
- When you will send the next update.
Where templates and translation stop helping
A shipping update is only as good as the data behind it. If the forwarder has not confirmed the vessel, do not write a firm ETA. A translated guess is still a guess.
inWind WA Helper can translate the update and keep the document numbers unchanged, but it does not read your forwarder's system and does not send the message. Check every number against the source document before sending.
Customs rules and liability for delays depend on your contract and the destination country. This article describes message structure, not trade compliance advice.
Do it on your device
Web
- Open the shipping update in WhatsApp Web on desktop Chrome 120+ and select the message.
- Use the message drop-down arrow or right-click to open the side panel, then choose translate.
- Paste your draft update and translate it; keep tracking numbers, dates, and amounts unchanged.
- Check the result against the carrier record, copy it, and send it from WhatsApp.
The helper does not query carriers or alter tracking data.
iPhone
- Share the single shipping update from WhatsApp to the inWind WA Helper Shortcut.
- On first run, choose the interface language and the target language.
- Sign in to the official service account and complete the one-time binding.
- Compare the tracking number, dates, and amounts on the result page, then copy the text back to WhatsApp.
Android
- Send the single update to inWind WA Helper through the Android system share sheet.
- Set the interface language and the target language separately.
- Review the tracking number, dates, and amounts in the result.
- Copy the result back to WhatsApp and send it after your own check.
Only the shared message is processed; the app does not read the chat.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I update the buyer?
At the four points above, plus any change to the ETA or documents. A short factual message beats a long explanation.
Should I send the bill of lading in the chat?
Send the document your contract requires, and check with your forwarder whether the file is safe to share in a chat.
The ETA changed. What do I write?
State the old date, the new date, the reason if it is confirmed, and what the buyer should do differently.
Can the tool track the shipment?
No. It translates and explains text you select. Tracking data comes from your carrier or forwarder.
Give your next WhatsApp message to inWind
Understand foreign-language messages from your customers and prepare a reply in the language you know best. Text, images, and voice notes included.