How to handle customer complaints in an online store

Every small store gets the same six complaints: wrong size, colour not like the photo, a damaged parcel, a late one, a missing piece and “I never ordered this”. How you answer decides whether that buyer orders again or tells their friends not to. Below is a reply for each one, what to ask for first, and when to exchange, refund or say no.

This guide is about the conversation. The rules behind it, like your exchange window and who pays the courier, belong in your return and exchange policy. If you do not have one written yet, the free store policy generator writes it in a few minutes. Answer complaints from that policy, and every buyer gets the same answer.

The first reply, before you know who is right

The first message is the one buyers screenshot. You do not know yet what happened, so do not promise a refund and do not defend yourself. Four rules:

• Reply the same day. Even if you only say you are checking. Silence turns a size problem into “fraud” in a comment.
• Say sorry for the trouble, not for the fault. “Sorry this happened” is true whoever is at fault.
• Ask for what you need in one message. Not one question at a time over a day.
• Give a time. “I will come back to you by 6 pm today”, and then do.

A first reply that works for any complaint:

“Sorry about this. Please send your order number and a photo or video of the item and the parcel label. I will check and come back to you by this evening.”

Roman Urdu: “Maazrat, aap ko pareshani hui. Order number aur item ki photo ya video bhej dein, main check kar ke aaj shaam tak bata deta hoon.”

Save this as a quick reply in WhatsApp Business so it goes out in seconds, even on a busy day. Keep complaints on the same number buyers ordered from; our guide to WhatsApp marketing explains why that number is worth protecting.

What to ask for, every time

• The order number, or the name and phone number on the order. Find it before you reply with any fix.
• Photos in daylight of the item, the label or tag, and the problem up close.
• The unboxing video, for damaged, wrong or missing item claims, if your policy asks for one.
• The courier label on the outer bag, which shows the tracking number and weight.

Then check your side before answering:

• What the buyer ordered and confirmed, in your order record and the confirmation chat.
• Your photo of the parcel before you sealed it, if you take one. If you do not, start today.
• The tracking history on the courier’s site or app.

This step can settle the complaint. The photo of the packed order shows the right size went out, or it shows you sent the wrong one. Either way you now know what to say.

Wrong size

Two different complaints hide behind “wrong size”:

• You sent a different size from the order. Your mistake. Send the right one, and pay the courier both ways.
• You sent the ordered size and it does not fit. The buyer’s choice. Offer an exchange on your policy’s terms.

If it was your mistake:

“You are right, we sent a medium instead of a large. Sorry. We will send the large today and the rider will collect the medium. No charge to you.”

If it does not fit:

“Sorry it does not fit. We can exchange it for another size within 7 days of delivery. The item needs to be unworn with tags on, and delivery charges for an exchange are yours. Which size would you like?”

Roman Urdu: “Size change ho jayega, bas item unworn ho aur tags lage hon. Exchange ki delivery aap ki taraf se hogi.”

Use your own window and charges, not these. If the same piece keeps coming back for size, the size chart is wrong. Measure the piece again in inches, and use the free size chart maker to put a clear chart on the product.

Colour not as shown

This is the hardest one, because both of you can be right. Phone screens and indoor light change colours, and so do filters. Ask for a photo in daylight next to your product photo, then be honest with yourself:

• Your photo was edited or shot under yellow light and the piece really looks different. Treat it as your mistake: exchange or refund, and reshoot the photo.
• The piece matches the photo in daylight and the buyer just does not like it. Treat it as a change of mind under your policy.

“Thank you for the photo. In daylight it looks closer to our picture, but screens do show colours differently. We can exchange it for another colour or item within 7 days. Would you like to see what we have?”

Do not tell a buyer their eyes or their phone are wrong. Offer the exchange and let them decide. Fixing the photo stops the next ten; our guide on photos and sizes that match the parcel covers how.

Damaged parcel

A torn piece, a broken bottle, a crushed box. Ask for the unboxing video or photos of the outer bag and the item, then check your packing photo. If it left you in good shape, the damage happened on the way. That is still your problem to fix for the buyer, and the courier’s to make good to you.

“Very sorry, that should not have reached you like this. We will send a replacement, or refund you in full if you prefer. Please keep the item and packing for now in case the courier needs to see them.”

Roman Urdu: “Bohat maazrat. Hum naya bhej dete hain, ya agar aap chahein to poori raqam wapas. Packing abhi sambhal ke rakhiye ga.”

Then raise it with the courier using the tracking number and the buyer’s photos. Do not make the buyer wait for the courier’s answer. If damage is common, your packing is the cause; see packaging for an online business.

Late delivery

Check the tracking before you reply, so you can say something real instead of “it will come soon”. Then tell the buyer exactly where it is.

“Sorry for the wait. Your parcel is with [courier], tracking number [number]. It reached [city] yesterday and is out for delivery tomorrow. I will keep an eye on it and message you if anything changes.”

• If tracking has not moved for a few days, call the courier, then tell the buyer what they said.
• If the buyer no longer wants it, say they can refuse it at the door at no cost to them. Arguing now only delays the same return.
• If it is lost, send a replacement or cancel the order, and file the claim with the courier yourself.

On Storelala you book PostEx, Leopards or TCS from the order screen, and the tracking number goes to the buyer on WhatsApp, so the answer to “where is my parcel” is on the order and with the buyer before they ask.

Missing item

“The dupatta was not in the parcel.” “I ordered two and got one.” Check the order, your packing photo and the parcel weight on the courier label. A 3-piece suit and a 2-piece weigh differently.

• Your photo shows it missing, or you have no photo: send the missing piece at your cost and say sorry.
• Your photo shows it packed, and the parcel arrived sealed: ask gently whether someone else at home opened it first. Shared parcels get opened.
• The bag was torn or retaped: it was opened on the way. Send the piece and claim from the courier.

“Sorry about this. Our packing photo shows the dupatta in the parcel, but please check with family in case someone opened it first. If it has not turned up, send me a photo of the bag and I will sort it out.”

On a low-price piece, sending it is often cheaper than the argument. Note who it happened to in your log; once is a mistake, three times is a pattern.

“I didn’t order this”

This can come as the rider calls, or as a message the next day. Look at the order first: the name, number, address and the confirmation chat.

• Someone at home ordered it. Common with a shared number. Ask politely whether anyone in the family ordered from you.
• They confirmed and changed their mind. Show the confirmation message once, calmly, and leave it there.
• It really was not them. A wrong number or a fake order. Apologise, ask them to refuse the parcel, and do not ship to that number again.

“Sorry for the confusion. We received an order on this number on [date] for [item], and it was confirmed on WhatsApp. If it was not you or anyone at home, please refuse the parcel and we will cancel it.”

Roman Urdu: “Agar ye order aap ya ghar mein kisi ne nahi kiya, to rider ko mana kar dein, hum order cancel kar denge.”

You pay the courier for the trip either way. The fix is upstream: confirm every order before you book it, as in how to reduce COD returns.

Exchange, refund or no

After checking, every complaint ends in one of four answers:

Saying no is allowed when the policy said so before the order. Say it once, quote the line, and offer something small if you want to keep the buyer:

“I understand. Our policy, which is on the product page, says items that have been washed cannot be exchanged, so I cannot take this one back. I can give you 10% off your next order if that helps.”

For a refund on cash on delivery, there is no card to reverse. You send the money by bank transfer, JazzCash or Easypaisa to an account in the buyer’s name, then send the transaction ID. The step-by-step, including checking the account name, is in refunding a COD order.

Public comments and bad reviews

When a complaint lands under your Instagram post or Facebook page, other buyers are reading your answer more than the complaint.

• Reply once, in public, politely. Then take it private.
• No order details in public. No name, number, address or “you confirmed it on the call”.
• Do not delete a fair complaint. People notice, and they ask in other comments. Delete abuse and spam.
• Do not reply angry. Wait an hour if you need to. The screenshot lasts longer than the anger.

“Sorry to hear this. We have sent you a message to sort it out today.”

When it is fixed, you can reply under the comment once more: “Glad this is sorted, thank you for your patience.” If the buyer is happy, ask whether they would update the comment. Do not push, and never offer a discount in exchange for removing a review.

If the comment is false, for example someone who never ordered, reply with facts and no heat: “We cannot find an order on any number with this name. Please message us your order number and we will check.” Then leave it.

Keep a simple complaint log

A sheet with one row per complaint is enough. It shows you which product, courier or habit causes most of your problems, which no single chat will show you.

• Date, order number, buyer’s phone and city.
• Product and size.
• Type: wrong size, colour, damaged, late, missing, not ordered, other.
• Your mistake, courier, or buyer’s choice.
• What you did: exchange, replacement, refund (with transaction ID), no.
• What it cost you: courier both ways, refund, the piece.

Read it once a week. What you are looking for:

• One product with many size or colour complaints: fix its chart or photos.
• One courier with most of the damage and late complaints: talk to them, or move.
• Missing items on busy days: add a packing check against the order before sealing.
• The same phone number again and again: ask for an advance next time, or do not ship.

If a written notice arrives

It may never happen to you, but it is worth knowing. Under section 28 of the Punjab Consumer Protection Act 2005, a consumer starts by giving written notice to the “manufacturer or provider of services”, who “shall, within fifteen days of the receipt of the notice, reply thereto”. Other provinces have their own Acts. This is not legal advice; our return policy guide quotes more of the law, and for a real notice, talk to a lawyer.

The practical point is the same as for every complaint above: answer it, in writing, on time.

Questions sellers ask

How do you handle customer complaints in an online store?

Reply the same day, move the chat to private messages, and ask for the order number and photos before you promise anything. Check your own records, then offer one clear fix: an exchange, a replacement, a refund by transfer, or a polite no with the reason from your policy. Note it in a complaint log so the same problem does not come back.

How should I reply to a customer complaint on WhatsApp?

Keep it short and calm. Say sorry for the trouble, ask for the order number and a photo or video, and say when you will come back to them. Do not argue or explain your costs. Once you have checked, send one message with the fix and the next step.

Should I ask for an unboxing video before accepting a complaint?

Ask for it for damaged, wrong or missing item claims, and say so in your policy before the order. If the buyer has no video but clear photos and your packing records agree, fix it anyway. The video is for settling claims quickly, not for turning them down.

How do I refund a customer on a cash on delivery order?

Once the item is back and checked, or on photos for your own mistake on a low-price item, send the money by bank transfer, JazzCash or Easypaisa to an account in the buyer’s name. Send the transaction ID or a screenshot and note it on the order.

How do I respond to a negative comment on Instagram?

Reply once, publicly and politely, and take the details to DMs: “Sorry about this, we have sent you a message to sort it out.” Fix it in private. If the buyer is happy at the end, you can ask whether they would update the comment, but do not push.

What if the customer is wrong?

Show them what you have, calmly: the order message they confirmed, the size chart, the photo of the parcel before it was sealed. Then say what you can offer under your policy. A clear no with the reason is fine. A rude one gets screenshotted.

Storelala is the Shopify alternative in Pakistan: your own store at yourbrand.storelala.com, cash on delivery, JazzCash and Easypaisa built into checkout, PostEx, Leopards and TCS booked from the order screen, and no marketplace commission. It runs from your phone and is free to start, with no card needed. Start your store and put your policy where buyers read it before they order.