Customer Service Standards for Your Store: How to Set Clear Rules

A practical customer service standard defines who checks product availability, what information customers receive before paying, when staff respond to inquiries, and who follows a complex issue through to resolution. To introduce one in a physical and online store, first gather your own data on customer expectations, errors, and complaints, then set rules the team can follow throughout the working day.

Start with one document for staff and brief public terms for customers. In the internal document, set out checks, decision-making authority, and how cases are handed over between shifts. On your website and in your store, publish opening hours, available contact channels, expected response times, delivery terms, and how to raise an issue with a product. Track internal service targets separately from deadlines and rights established by Ukrainian law.

Find out where customers wait and why they contact you again

For the first week, record inquiries in one log, even if they come by phone, message, or in person on the sales floor. For each inquiry, note the order or case number, channel, time received, first substantive response, reason, staff member responsible, and next promised action. If a customer contacts you about the same order through another channel, add the message to the existing case so earlier agreements are not lost.

Tag the reasons separately: unconfirmed availability, price discrepancy, picking error, unknown delivery status, difficulty with an exchange, or no response. On the sales floor, observe how long people wait for advice and checkout, whether they can see price tags, and whether they can find the product they need. At the end of a shift, staff should explain why open cases remain unresolved and hand them to a specific colleague.

For your first process change, choose a recurring problem the store can fix through its own actions. If customers often ask whether an order has shipped, check whether they receive a message after the parcel has actually been handed to the carrier. If sales staff confirm products that are out of stock, check whether inventory is updated on time and whether the last units are physically checked.

Set achievable response times and publish your opening hours

Choose a target response time after observing normal and peak workloads. Decide who monitors each channel, who covers during breaks, and what the team does when inquiries start to pile up. Track an automated receipt confirmation separately: a substantive response should include verified information or a specific next step.

Illustrative example of an internal rule, not a legal deadline: a small store handles messages Monday through Saturday, from 09:00 to 18:00, and, after reviewing its workload, sets a target of a first substantive response within two working hours. For a message received Saturday at 17:30, the deadline is Monday at 10:30: 30 working minutes remain on Saturday, and another 90 minutes are counted on Monday. Publish this promise only if staff coverage makes it achievable.

A public notice could say: “We reply to messages Monday through Saturday, from 09:00 to 18:00. We usually send our first response within two working hours. If we need to check stock or delivery, we’ll let you know when we’ll get back to you with the result.” For messages received outside business hours, give the next opening time and links to your delivery and returns terms.

Set a separate commitment for resolving each issue, based on the specific situation. A staff member can promise to check an order’s contents by a certain time, but should not guarantee a parcel’s arrival without confirmation. If the promised time is approaching and there is no result, the person responsible should update the customer on the status and next step.

Set out checks for every stage of the purchase

Before payment: product, availability, and total cost

The salesperson first clarifies what the customer needs: what the product is for and which size, compatibility, or features are essential. Then they check the exact product code, color, size, set contents, and storage location. Before confirming an order for the last unit, an item with damaged packaging, or one with a discrepancy in the inventory records, consider requiring a physical check.

In product listings and consultations, clearly distinguish confirmed availability, expected restocking, and items available to order. On the sales floor, check that the price tag matches the product. Before online payment, show the order contents, product prices, delivery cost, and any other charges payable by the customer. If delivery depends on the address or collection method, confirm those details and tell the customer the total before they approve the order.

These checks help meet the requirements of Article 15 of the Law of Ukraine “On Consumer Protection” No. 1023-XII: information must be necessary, accessible, accurate, and timely, and the customer must receive it before making a purchase. The product price includes taxes and mandatory charges paid by the consumer. For distance contracts, Article 13 also requires sellers to provide information in advance, including seller details, how claims are handled, product characteristics, the price including delivery, payment and delivery terms, warranty terms, and how to terminate the contract.

After the order: confirmation, picking, and delivery

Send the customer an order confirmation with the order number, agreed products, total, payment and delivery or collection methods, and contact details for inquiries. Article 13 of Law No. 1023-XII requires written or electronic confirmation of the pre-contractual information provided; the seller may not unilaterally change information confirmed in this way. Keep the agreed terms with the order.

Assign a staff member to check the picked order against the agreed list, and define clear order statuses. For example, “received” means the store has registered the order; “confirmed” means a staff member has checked that it can be fulfilled; and “handed to carrier” means the handover has actually taken place. Creating a shipment number alone should not trigger a message saying the parcel has shipped.

If the agreed delivery time is missed, tell the customer why, what facts have been confirmed, and what options are available to them. Under Part 6 of Article 13 of Law No. 1023-XII, unless the distance contract provides otherwise, the product must be delivered within a reasonable time, but no later than 30 days after receiving the consumer’s consent to enter into the contract. If the contract cannot be fulfilled because the product is unavailable, the seller must notify the customer immediately, and no later than that same 30-day period. For day-to-day operations, set a rule to notify customers as soon as the problem is identified.

Give staff authority and assign someone to handle complex cases

Specify in the standard which decisions sales staff can make themselves: check stock, confirm status, correct their own error in contact details after verification, and receive and log product-related claims. For decisions that need approval, name the role and the person responsible, as well as their backup. For example, administrator Olena handles disputed returns and picking errors; if she is unavailable, the shift manager takes the case.

When handing over a case, the staff member records the customer’s request, verified facts, documents, previous responses, and the promised time of the next contact. The customer should know who is responsible for following up. Internal manager approval must not delay acceptance of a lawful claim or change deadlines set by law.

When correcting an error, first address its cause and meet the store’s obligations. Approve any additional goodwill gesture under clearly defined authority and in light of the circumstances. Staff should not automatically offer a discount, use one as a substitute for the customer’s right to have the issue properly addressed, or promise something the store has not yet verified.

Sample conversations for staff training

Illustrative conversation about availability. Customer: “The website says my size is in stock. Can I pick it up today?” Salesperson: “I’ll check that exact size at our store. Our inventory shows one unit, so I’ll ask a colleague to inspect it and check that everything is included. I’ll let you know by 12:30 so you can plan your trip.” If the check finds the item is unavailable, the staff member should say so directly and offer only verified options, leaving the choice to the customer.

Illustrative conversation about a delay. Customer: “You said you’d ship it yesterday, but the parcel hasn’t moved.” Staff member: “We didn’t hand over your order on the agreed day. I’m sorry for the delay. I’ll check with the warehouse that the parcel is ready and let you know its confirmed status and the available options by 15:00. I’m handling your case; my name is Andrii.” After checking, Andrii shares the actual result, even if a revised timeframe has not yet been confirmed.

Illustrative conversation about a faulty product. Customer: “The device won’t turn on. I want my money back.” Staff member: “We’ll accept your claim and record your request for a refund. I’ll check the purchase date, documents, and the circumstances in which you found the defect, and explain how we accept the product. Administrator Olena is responsible for reviewing it. I’ll pass on the information you’ve already given me so you don’t have to describe it again.” After checking the basis for the claim, the staff member explains the next steps without promising an automatic refund in advance.

Distinguish customers’ legal rights from your internal response process

The rules below concern consumer protection in Ukraine. To handle a claim correctly, staff should first establish whether it concerns a non-defective product, a product defect, or termination of a distance contract. An internal response target measured in working hours does not replace statutory deadlines for exchanges, repairs, or refunds.

• Non-food product of proper quality. Under Article 9 of Law No. 1023-XII, a customer may exchange a product for a similar one from the seller from whom they bought it if its shape, dimensions, style, color, or size do not suit them, or for another reason it cannot be used for its intended purpose. The exchange period is 14 days, excluding the day of purchase, unless the seller has announced a longer period.

  The product must be unused; its appearance and consumer properties, seals, and labels must be preserved, along with the transaction document required by law, including an electronic one. The law provides for a list of products approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine that cannot be exchanged or returned on these grounds, so check whether the exception applies to the particular product. If no similar product is available, the customer may choose another product with a price adjustment, terminate the contract and receive a refund, or wait for the similar product to arrive.

  When the contract is terminated, the money is refunded on the day of termination; if that is not possible, within an agreed period no later than seven days.

• Product with a defect. Under Article 8 of Law No. 1023-XII, during the warranty period the consumer may request a proportional price reduction, free repair of the defect, or reimbursement of the cost of repair. The right to terminate the contract for a refund or request a replacement applies to significant defects caused by the manufacturer, seller, or service provider, or to counterfeit products, where confirmed by an expert examination if necessary. A separate rule applies to food products unfit for consumption: the seller must replace them with fit products or refund the amount paid. The seller must accept a product of improper quality; a manager’s absence is not a reason to delay accepting the claim.
• Deadlines for claims about defects. Article 8 provides for defects to be remedied within 14 days of presenting the product, or within another period agreed by the parties. Where a replacement is warranted and the product is available, the request must be fulfilled immediately; if a quality check is needed, within 14 days or as agreed; if the product is unavailable, within two months of the request. For a refund following contract termination, the rule is payment on the day of termination or within an agreed period no longer than seven days. The seller or manufacturer pays to transport bulky products and products weighing more than five kilograms for claims under this article, and to return them.

• Distance contract. Under Article 13 of Law No. 1023-XII, a consumer may notify the seller of termination within 14 days from confirmation of the information or receipt of the product or first delivery. If the information was not properly confirmed, the period may be 90 days; if the confirmation is corrected during that period, the 14-day period runs from receipt of the corrected confirmation.

  Unless the contract provides otherwise, exceptions to the right to terminate include products made or modified to order when they cannot be sold to others or doing so would cause significant financial losses, and sealed computer software media that the consumer has opened. Check the specific grounds under Part 5 of Article 13 and the contract terms. For returns and refunds after terminating a distance contract, also apply Parts 5–9 of Article 12, referenced by Part 7 of Article 13.

  Do not automatically apply the seven-day refund period from Articles 8 and 9 to these cases.

In the complaints log, separately record the date the claim was received, what it requests, and the applicable statutory deadline. Escalate product safety concerns and cases approaching a statutory deadline as a priority. Negative public reviews also need a response, but their visibility should not determine the order of all cases; ask about order details and personal data privately.

How Torgsoft helps you check inventory, purchases, and returns

In Torgsoft, the form “Склад — Стан складу” (Warehouse — Warehouse status) shows recorded stock levels, quantity, size, and product price; you can view all warehouses or selected accounting centers. In practice, this gives sales staff information to check a specific order. Before responding to the customer, the operator should check the selected warehouse and the date of the stock figures. If there is a discrepancy, check stock movements and actual availability: the accuracy of your promise depends on accurate inventory records.

The form “Аналіз — Аналіз активності покупців” (Analysis — Customer activity analysis) lets you select a period and accounting center and view the number of receipts and sales metrics. If these fields are left blank, the analysis covers the entire accounting period and the whole retail network. To compare customer behavior, use the same selection criteria and note that “Виручка реалізацій” (Sales revenue) excludes returns. This report alone cannot tell you why a customer made another purchase or how satisfied they were with the service.

In the form “Документ — Повернення” (Document — Return), you can find a sale using the receipt barcode, select the products and quantities to return, and search for the sale. Before completing the operation, the operator checks the product, actual quantity returned, amount, and payment method. You can configure a maximum return period in the program, and exceeding it triggers a notification; this setting should be aligned with store policy and customers’ applicable rights. An accounting operation button does not replace checking the legal basis or confirming that the money was actually refunded.

Measure service using clear metrics

For each metric, record the period, data source, and counting method. A complaint with several messages should remain one case, while a repeat contact about an unresolved issue should be visible separately. Do not count an automated receipt confirmation as a substantive response.

Illustrative calculation: During one week, the first-response deadline passed for 40 new inquiries. The team sent a substantive response to 32 within its internal target, so the result is 32 ÷ 40 × 100% = 80%. The figure alone does not explain the delays: the manager checks whether there were too few staff, warehouse information took too long to arrive, or inquiries had no one assigned to them.

Do not tie penalties to a single speed metric or the number of complaints. Consider response time together with errors, repeat contacts, and completion of promised actions; consider case complexity alongside shift workload. For training, it is enough to review a few specific inquiries each week and agree on a process change the team will check the following week.

Introduce your standard in one week

1. Day 1 — set up tracking. Assign someone to maintain the inquiry log, agree on the list of reasons, and start monitoring queues, responses, and errors. Record staff assumptions separately from verified facts.
2. Day 2 — walk through the customer journey. Check several products from the price tag or online listing through payment and receipt. Identify points where customers cannot see the total price, availability, delivery terms, or contact details for inquiries.
3. Day 3 — assign responsibility. Set channel coverage, backups, salesperson authority, and the people responsible for complex cases. Establish a process for handing open inquiries between shifts.
4. Day 4 — prepare rules and explanations. Describe how to check availability, confirm an order, notify customers about delays, and accept product claims. Keep internal targets separate from statutory deadlines.
5. Day 5 — practice scenarios. Role-play an unavailable last unit, a shipment delay, and a claim about a defect. Check that everyone knows the next step and the person responsible.
6. Day 6 — run a trial day. Apply the rules under a normal workload and check them during peak hours. Find out which promises the team kept and where the work allocation needs to change.
7. Day 7 — approve and publish. Refine achievable response times, publish the customer-facing terms, and agree to review results weekly. Review initial findings once you have data for a full store operating cycle.

For the inquiry log, collect only the information you need, such as an order number, a contact method for replies, and a description of the issue. Articles 6 and 11 of the Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection” No. 2297-VI require a defined lawful purpose, an appropriate legal basis for processing, and data that is not excessive; one legal basis is entering into and performing a transaction. Define staff access and retention periods according to the purpose, and assess separately any use of contact details for another purpose.

Shift manager checklist

• Each contact channel has an assigned staff member and a designated backup.
• Published opening hours and response times match the team’s actual schedule.
• Before confirming an order, staff check the required product, warehouse, quantity, and agreed total cost.
• The customer receives an order confirmation and updates when its status actually changes.
• Each open case has an owner, a next action, and a contact time.
• Product claims are logged, and applicable statutory deadlines are tracked separately.
• Staff hand open cases over to the next shift along with the agreements made.
• The manager checks the reasons for delays and repeat contacts and assigns a specific action to address them.