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Customer service and replies to shoppers

| Article: 2 min read | Customer retention

An online store's customer service is everything that happens between a shopper's question and its resolution: answers before purchase, order status, changes, returns, complaints. It is part of the product: a shopper judges a store by how their issue was resolved, not just by price.

What it consists of

  • Before purchase: availability, size, compatibility, delivery.
  • After the order: status, changing the address or Nova Poshta branch, cancellation.
  • After receipt: return, warranty, complaint (returns).
  • Channels: phone, messengers, email, on-site chat. Pick the ones where your shoppers already are, and do not open more than you can handle.

What the data says about AI in support

  • According to a Gartner survey (August 2026), 87% of customers say that companies using generative AI in support must provide access to a human. A Gartner analyst advises against making AI a mandatory first step for every request: customers who go through several unsuccessful steps with AI are less willing to use it again. Shoppers are also almost three times more likely to use third-party AI tools than company chatbots (DestinationCRM on Gartner, 2026). The sample size is not given in this piece.
  • According to a Salesforce survey (3,075 support staff in 13 countries, March to April 2026), 85% of organizations use AI, 77% of companies with customer-facing AI let people ask for a human at any moment, and 66% measure AI accuracy. Salesforce sells such systems, so read this with a grain of salt (Salesforce, 2026).
  • Rules: from August 2, 2026, in the EU, providers of AI systems that interact with people must clearly state that it is AI, if that is not obvious (Goodwin, 2026). If you work with the EU, check the requirements.

There is no fresh data on what Ukrainian shoppers specifically expect from support.

How to reply

  1. The first message follows a template, the content follows the situation. Templates for frequent questions, but with the name and order number.
  2. One contact owns the issue to the end. The shopper should not have to repeat the story.
  3. Be honest about timing. "We will reply by 6 pm" is better than silence.
  4. Data at hand. The agent sees the order, the correspondence and the tracking number status (CRM).
  5. Collect the reasons for contact. If half of the questions are about size or delivery, fix the page, not the answers.

Where AI helps

Reply suggestions, a summary of the correspondence, knowledge base search (AI in the team). Refunds, exceptions and complaints are decided by a person. More: AI automation.

Common mistakes

  • A chatbot with no way to reach a person.
  • Different answers from different agents to the same question.
  • Not logging requests and not analyzing them.
  • Replying fast but not to the point.
  • Not saying that a bot is answering.

FAQ

Does a store need a chatbot? Only if you have enough typical questions and a way out to a person. Gartner (2026): 87% of customers consider that way out mandatory.

How fast do I need to reply? There is no single standard. Set it yourself, tell shoppers and stick to it.

Can returns be automated? Data collection and checking the conditions can be automated, but leave decisions outside the rules to a person.

Sources

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