How to Improve the Customer Experience in a Store: From Product Availability to Returns

To improve the customer experience in a store, organize the entire purchase journey: from communicating availability and price to handing over the product and handling post-sale inquiries. Assign an owner to each stage, set a response time, and define the outcome the employee must confirm to the customer.

Start with an order and inquiry log. Each week, count completed and canceled orders, measure waiting time, and track issues resolved on first contact and repeat purchases by a defined customer group. Choose the three problems that get in customers’ way most and try specific changes. At the same time, follow the rules for providing information, exchanging goods, and protecting personal data: internal service times do not replace the seller’s legal obligations.

Describe the customer journey through specific employee actions

Customer experience is the sum of a person’s impressions from interacting with a store. For the owner, it is useful to assess it by whether commitments are met: was the needed product available, did the price match, was the purchase prepared on time, and were the next steps after an inquiry explained?

Review several completed purchases, canceled orders, and post-sale inquiries. For each case, reconstruct the sequence of events: what the customer saw, what they asked, what the employee promised, and what actually happened. Record the specific discrepancy, for example: “the size was confirmed, but could not be found during picking.”

The table below is an example of how to organize the work. The owner can adjust roles and timeframes to match the store schedule. The timeframes shown are internal practical targets, not legal standards.

In a small store, one person may perform several roles. The owner should also assign a backup for when that person is absent, so an unresolved inquiry does not go unanswered when a salesperson’s shift ends.

Confirm availability, price, and the timeframe for receiving the product before confirming a purchase

The salesperson should verify the product before saying “in stock.” The model name alone is not enough if the customer needs a particular size, color, or configuration. If only one unit remains or recorded stock differs from the physical count, ask an employee to locate the product and only then confirm that the customer can receive it.

Before purchase, the customer must receive the necessary information about the product and the purchase terms. In particular, Article 15 of the Law of Ukraine “On Consumer Protection” No. 1023-XII provides for informing customers about a product’s main properties, price, and purchase terms. The price must include taxes and other mandatory payments payable by the consumer. If delivery is charged separately, the employee must explain this when agreeing on the order so the customer understands the costs.

For promotions, the seller must know the validity period, restrictions, and discount conditions. Under Article 15, a discount must apply for a specified limited period, and the price must be lower than the regular price. Once a discount is announced, the customer must be told the price before and after the discount begins. In practice, this means the employee responsible for the promotion should prepare information for price tags, messages, and sales staff at the same time.

Distinguish between the product being ready for pickup, being handed to a carrier, and being received by the customer. If the store promises only a shipping date, the employee must state that date specifically. If a delay occurs, the employee explains the reason, gives a realistic new timeframe and available next steps, and records the customer’s decision.

Keep one log for orders and inquiries

A restricted-access spreadsheet is enough to start. Give each order or inquiry its own number so employees can find the agreement without asking the customer to repeat the information.

• Record the date, time, contact channel, and a brief summary of the request.
• Record the product, agreed terms, responsible employee, and promised time for the next update.
• Separately mark the actual response, preparation, handover, or resolution time.
• For cancellations, select a specific reason: product unavailable, price discrepancy, delay, change of mind, or another circumstance.
• Close an inquiry after the agreed action is completed. If a resolution is still pending, leave it open.

After an issue is passed to another employee, the administrator remains responsible for updating the customer. Tell the customer the next action and response time: “The administrator will check whether an exchange is possible and let you know today by 4:00 p.m.” This agreement makes follow-through measurable.

Organize exchanges and returns according to the reason for the inquiry

The rules below apply to sales in Ukraine to consumers who purchase products for personal needs. When accepting an inquiry, the administrator first determines the reason: the product is in good condition but unsuitable; a defect has been found; a different product was supplied; or the agreement was not met. The administrator then follows the applicable procedure instead of giving the same general response in every case.

If a non-food product in good condition is unsuitable

Under Article 9 of Law No. 1023-XII, a consumer may exchange a non-food product of proper quality for an equivalent product within 14 days, excluding the day of purchase, unless the seller has announced a longer period. The product must be unused; its marketable appearance, consumer properties, seals, labels, and settlement document—including an electronic document in the form provided by law—must be preserved. The list approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of goods that cannot be exchanged or returned on these grounds must also be taken into account.

If an equivalent product is not available for sale, the customer may choose another product with a price adjustment, a refund after termination of the contract, or an exchange when the equivalent product becomes available. In the latter case, the store must notify the customer on the day the product arrives. When the contract is terminated, the money is refunded on the day of termination; if that is not possible, within a period agreed by the parties, but no later than seven days.

If the customer reports a defect

Under Article 8 of Law No. 1023-XII, if defects are discovered within the warranty period, the consumer may demand a proportionate price reduction, free repair of the defects, or reimbursement of the cost of repairing them. The right to demand termination of the contract and a refund, or replacement, is linked in particular to a substantial defect caused by the manufacturer or seller, or to counterfeiting, as confirmed by an expert examination where necessary. The seller must accept a product of improper quality for consideration of the claim.

The administrator records the date of the inquiry, a description of the defect, the condition and completeness of the product accepted, and the customer’s claim. Under Article 8, claims are considered after presentation of a settlement document and, for a product under warranty, also its technical passport or a document serving in its place, bearing the sale date. Give the customer proof of acceptance so they know which product was handed to the store and which claim it is intended to address.

The law allows 14 days from the date the product is presented to repair defects free of charge, or another period agreed by the parties. Delivery of bulky goods or goods weighing more than five kilograms to the seller and back to the consumer is at the seller’s or manufacturer’s expense. If an unfit food product was purchased, the seller must replace it with a fit product or refund the money. The responsible employee should determine the applicable procedure as soon as the inquiry is accepted so internal approval does not cause a missed deadline.

Separate service data from consent to marketing messages

A phone number used to notify a customer that an order is ready serves a specific service purpose. Under Article 11 of the Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection” No. 2297-VI, processing may be based on entering into and performing a transaction or fulfilling a legal obligation. Consent is a separate legal basis. Collecting a contact detail to fulfill an order does not in itself mean the customer has consented to marketing messages.

The owner should define why the store collects each data field and who will use it. To organize an optional marketing mailing, provide a separate choice for the customer, keep the content and date of consent, and make an opt-out method available. An employee must not mark consent simply because the customer provided a phone number for delivery.

When a store obtains data directly from a person, it must tell them at the time of collection who controls the data, what data is collected, why, to whom it is transferred, and what rights the person has. These are the requirements of Article 12 of Law No. 2297-VI. Article 6 limits the scope of personal data to what is needed for the defined purpose and its retention to the period necessary for lawful purposes. Therefore, for a routine notification that a purchase is ready, there is no need to collect a date of birth, family information, or copies of documents.

Assign an employee to handle requests about personal data. Under Article 8 of this Law, a customer has the right to access their data, withdraw consent, and exercise other rights. After a customer opts out of a mailing, the responsible employee stops using the contact for that purpose and separately determines which information the store has grounds to retain for performing the contract or meeting legal obligations. Do not publish a person’s phone number, address, or purchase history in a public reply to a review.

How to view customer purchases and product availability in Torgsoft

In the “Маркетинг → Клієнти” (Marketing → Customers) menu, open the customer card. The “Придбання” (Purchases) tab displays purchases and returns recorded in transactions linked to that customer. To use this history, sales staff must link the sale to the correct card. Before using the system, the owner configures the employee role to grant access to customer cards and warehouse status and defines how to select a customer and which data is required. After a trial sale, the owner checks whether the purchase appears in the right customer’s card. The history covers registered transactions linked to a specified customer; it does not automatically collect every inquiry from every channel.

To answer a product inquiry, the salesperson opens “Склад → Стан складу” (Warehouse → Warehouse Status) and checks the quantity, variant, and price. An accounting center is a store or warehouse in Torgsoft. The “Усі склади” (All Warehouses) switch and “Вибрати склади” (Select Warehouses) action let the user select which accounting centers to view. Before promising in-store pickup, the employee must identify the specific warehouse that has the product and, if needed, verify it is physically there.

The reliability of the answer depends on stock movements being recorded promptly. Before confirming availability, ensure the “Стан на дату” (Stock as of Date) filter is not showing stock as of a past date. If, in static mode, the quantity does not display correctly after a stock movement, select the product and use “Перерахувати кількість” (Recalculate Quantity) for the current warehouse or all retail locations.

Torgsoft operates under a paid license or subscription; the format of use and restrictions are set out in the current commercial terms. In particular, the “Старт” (“Start”) plan includes one accounting center, so viewing several stores in one database requires an appropriate license. Before purchasing, reproduce the required workflow in the demo version: make a purchase with a customer selected, view the history, and search for a product in the required warehouse.

Measure whether commitments are met using consistent rules

The owner should define the measurement period and counting rules in advance. For orders, choose a group with the same criterion, such as the agreed pickup date falling within one week. Show unresolved cases separately: silently excluding them would make the figures look better than the actual result.

Illustrative example. In a group of 100 orders, the store completed 95 and canceled 5; there are no open orders. The completion rate is 95 ÷ 100 × 100% = 95%, and the cancellation rate is 5 ÷ 100 × 100% = 5%. These figures do not yet show how many orders were completed on time; that requires a separate mark for meeting the deadline.

Separate illustrative example for repeat purchases. The store selected a group of 100 customers who purchased a product in a particular month and whose purchases were linked to their customer cards. In the following 60 days, 25 of them made another purchase. The rate is 25 ÷ 100 × 100% = 25%. Count each person in the numerator once, regardless of how many subsequent purchases they made. This is the result for the selected group based on registered purchases, so it should not be applied to all store visitors.

Set targets based on your own results and the team’s capacity. Seasonality, assortment, promotions, and changes in recordkeeping can affect the metrics, so an increase in repeat purchases by itself does not prove that a specific service change caused it.

Address three priority problems each week

At a weekly meeting, the owner and administrator review the log and choose three problems based on frequency, impact on customers, and the store’s ability to influence the cause. A violation of consumer rights or a safety risk requires immediate action regardless of its place on the list.

1. Describe the problem as an event. For example, “customers arrive before the salesperson has found and set aside the product.” Find out who communicates that the order is ready and at what stage.
2. Choose one change for each problem. For example, send confirmation of readiness only after the order has been picked. Assign an owner and determine how employees will record completion.
3. Set a trial period. Collect the same metrics as before for a week. If there are few cases, extend the observation period and do not draw a conclusion from one purchase.
4. Assess the outcome and time spent. Compare the number of failures, waiting time, and employee workload. Keep an action that helps meet commitments, or change it and run another trial.

After introducing a new procedure, the administrator practices it with sales staff using specific situations: the last unit in stock, a price discrepancy, a delayed handover, or an inquiry about a defect. At the end of the following week, the owner checks whether employees followed the agreed procedure and whether the outcome for customers changed.

Official laws for organizing customer service

• Law of Ukraine “On Consumer Protection,” dated 12 May 1991, No. 1023-XII: Article 4—consumer rights; Article 8—claims regarding products of improper quality and settlement documents; Article 9—exchange of products of proper quality; Article 15—information about products, prices, and discounts.
• Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection,” dated 1 June 2010, No. 2297-VI: Article 6—purpose, scope, and duration of processing; Article 8—a person’s rights concerning their data; Article 11—grounds for processing; Article 12—notice at collection; Article 14—transfer of personal data.