Website chat for online shops
An online shop gets two kinds of chat: questions before the order (size, stock, delivery time, cash on delivery) that decide whether someone buys, and questions after it ("where is my order", returns, a wrong item) that decide whether they buy again. Answer the first kind quickly from published facts, and give the second kind to a person who can open the order. That split is the whole set-up; the rest of this guide fills it in.
Before the order: six questions that close the sale
| Shopper asks | Answer pattern you fill in | Person takes over? |
|---|---|---|
| How long is delivery to [city]? | "Delivery to [area] takes [days]; same-day for orders before [time] in [areas]." | No |
| Do you have cash on delivery? | "[Yes, with a fee of / No, we accept] [payment methods]." | No |
| What size should I choose? | "Our size guide is here: [link]. Tell me your usual size and I'll help." | Yes, if unsure |
| Is this in stock? | "Let me check the stock for you now." | Yes, unless your listing shows stock |
| What is the price with delivery? | "[Item price as published] plus [published delivery fee], VAT included / plus VAT." | No |
| Do you have a discount for two? | "Our current offers are [published offers]." | Yes, for anything not published |
After the order: six questions that keep the customer
| Customer asks | Answer pattern you fill in | Person takes over? |
|---|---|---|
| Where is my order? | "Please send your order number and I'll check it." | Yes |
| Can I change my address? | "Send your order number and the new address; we'll confirm if it hasn't shipped." | Yes |
| What is your return policy? | "You can return [items] within [days] if [conditions]. Details: [link]." | No |
| I received the wrong / damaged item | "I'm sorry. Please send your order number and tell us what is wrong; our team will sort it today." | Yes, always |
| When will my refund arrive? | "Our team will check your refund and reply here." | Yes, always |
| Can I cancel my order? | "Send your order number and we'll check whether it has shipped." | Yes |
What never gets an automatic reply
- Refund demands and damaged-item complaints. A person with access to the order replies (handling a complaint in chat). StayReplied hands complaints and refund demands to a person in every mode.
- Payment claims. A screenshot of a transfer is not a payment: your team checks the bank or payment system before an order is marked paid.
- Prices or bundle discounts that are not published. Store prices as reviewed price records; if you later add AI, it quotes only from those, never from a guess.
- Stock promises you cannot see in chat.
Three welcome lines
- "Hi! Questions about sizes, delivery or payment? Ask here; we reply from [time] to [time]."
- "Welcome to [Shop]. Already ordered? Send your order number and we'll check it for you."
- "Need help choosing? Tell us what you're looking for."
Starter questions as buttons: "Delivery times", "Cash on delivery", "Returns", "Where is my order".
The out-of-hours message
The widget sends no automatic closed message today. Put your reply hours and a link to your delivery and returns page in the welcome line, switch on "Ask for name and email before chatting" so an order question can be answered after the shopper has left, and clear overnight chats first thing, oldest first. Saved replies that don't sound canned speeds that up.
A sale weekend
On a sale weekend or before Eid, pre-sale chats spike first and after-sale chats follow once orders ship (handling a chat rush). Plan for both:
| Phase | Who owns the unassigned view | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Sale days | Two people, split by shift | Delivery and stock questions answered first: they decide orders |
| Shipping days | One person on pre-sale, one on orders | "Where is my order" chats assigned to the person with access to the courier |
| Returns week | The returns person | Complaints become tickets with a priority and a due time |
In the shared inbox, saved views separate unassigned, mine, escalated and waiting-on-customer, and stale-reply protection stops two people answering the same shopper.
A one-week set-up plan
- Day 1: create the workspace and invite whoever handles orders.
- Day 2: publish delivery times, payment methods, returns policy and delivery fees.
- Day 3: publish the widget on product, cart and contact pages; add your shop's domain to the allowed origins.
- Day 4: welcome lines and the out-of-hours reply in English and Arabic.
- Day 5: test one pre-sale and one after-sale question each.
- Day 6: agree the sale-weekend split.
- Day 7: read the week's chats and publish answers for every question typed twice.
When this is not for you
If you want the chat to look up order status by itself, StayReplied does not connect to shop platforms or couriers today; a person checks the order. Web chat is the channel you connect today; WhatsApp and Instagram are coming soon (see channels). If you only want an e-mail ticket queue, read StayReplied or a general help desk. Starter is AED 70 a month plus 5% VAT, Team AED 210; see pricing.
Questions and answers
Can the chat tell a customer where their order is?
Not by itself today. It asks for the order number, and a person checks and replies.
Do I need AI to answer delivery and returns questions?
No. Your team sends the delivery and returns answers you publish from the inbox. No plan includes AI today; AI drafts need your own Anthropic key.
Who handles a damaged item?
A person, always. Complaints and refund demands are handed over, never answered automatically.
Does the widget work in Arabic?
Yes, in Arabic and English, right to left included.
Answer shoppers before they leave the cart.
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