Ecommerce and Retail
How online stores, local retailers, and sellers can use AlonChat for product questions, order intake, shipping rules, payment instructions, returns, and CRM follow-up.
Ecommerce and Retail#
AlonChat is useful for ecommerce stores, social sellers, retail shops, distributors, and local brands that answer repeated questions about products, prices, stock, shipping, payment, warranty, and returns.
The best first goal is to make product and order questions fast, accurate, and easy to hand off when live stock or approval is needed.
Typical Customer Questions#
- "Available pa?"
- "What sizes do you have?"
- "How much shipping?"
- "Is this original?"
- "How do I pay?"
- "Can I return or exchange?"
- "Where is my order?"
- "Do you have wholesale pricing?"
Sources to Add#
| Source | What to include |
|---|---|
| Product catalog | Product names, variants, specs, sizes, colors, inclusions, warranties |
| Price sheet | Retail price, sale price, bundles, wholesale rules, promo dates |
| Shipping rules | Delivery areas, courier options, fees, pickup rules, lead times |
| Payment rules | Accepted methods, proof process, reservation rules, COD policy |
| Returns and warranty | Eligibility, timelines, required photos, exclusions, review process |
| Q&A pairs | Exact answers for authenticity, warranty, shipping, payment, and returns |
Use structured data, Sheets, or a custom API if the assistant must check live stock, order status, or customer-specific pricing. A lookup does not reserve stock or charge the customer.
Recommended Channels#
| Channel | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Website widget | Product page questions, cart concerns, shipping and returns |
| Facebook Messenger | Social commerce inquiries and repeat customers |
| Product discovery from posts, stories, reels, and DMs | |
| Order support, warranty requests, and longer inquiries |
Agent Studio Setup#
| Surface | Recommended setup |
|---|---|
| Guidance | Helpful, concise, product-aware tone. Never invent stock, price, or delivery promises. |
| Chat history | If Messenger or Instagram history is available, ask Alon about "available", "last price", "COD", "legit", "hm", and "shipping", then review it before customers can hear it. Other channels do not import that history. |
| Procedures | Product inquiry, order intake, payment proof, return or exchange intake, and wholesale inquiry. |
| Workflows | Buttons for product category, size, color, delivery method, payment method, and support request. |
| Tools | A catalog, sheet, payment review, form, delivery tool, or store API. A stock answer, charge, order log, or staff alert counts only when that tool is configured and the action succeeds. A catalog file does not reserve stock. |
| Escalations | Discounts, returns, warranty approval, wholesale terms, angry customers, and stock conflicts. |
Order Intake Procedure Example#
- Identify the product, variant, quantity, and customer question.
- Answer from the catalog or Q&A when that fact is in an approved source.
- Ask for delivery location and preferred payment method.
- Share shipping and payment rules from your sources.
- Collect name and contact details.
- Share the order summary. Log it or alert staff only when that order or escalation tool is configured and the action succeeds.
- Confirm payment or fulfillment only when the matching tool succeeds. Do not say stock is held. A stock lookup counts only when that tool is configured and the lookup succeeds, and a lookup does not reserve inventory.
What to Hand Off#
- Live stock conflicts when no inventory integration exists
- Discounts, bulk pricing, wholesale approvals, and special requests
- Payment proof, failed payments, refunds, returns, and warranty claims
- Angry customers, damaged items, lost parcels, or courier disputes
- Private customer order status without a configured secure lookup
Benefits to Expect#
- Faster answers to product, shipping, and payment questions
- Cleaner order summaries for staff
- Better lead capture from social DMs and website visitors
- More consistent return and warranty explanations
- Less repetitive manual answering during promos
Launch Checklist#
- Name the store and the products this agent may discuss.
- Teach the agent with the catalog, prices, shipping, payment, warranty, and return rules.
- In Agent Studio → Test, ask a private question such as "available?", "hm shipping to Cebu?", "COD?", or "can I exchange?" before customers can hear it.
- Add procedures for order intake, payment proof, and returns. Discounts, refunds, and warranty approval stay with a person.
- Connecting a shop channel is not launch. Turn on live replies only after that private answer is right.