TL;DR:

• AI Agent is only as good as the instructions you give it. Clear Guidance enables it to perform like your best support teammate.
• The “When, If, Then” framework makes writing Guidance easy and repeatable. Start with the scenario (when), define the conditions (if), and list specific actions (then) to create structured Guidance.
• Use Guidance to handle frequently asked questions, like returns, cancellations, or discount code inquiries, so your team can focus on more complex issues.
• If your Guidance isn’t working, formatting or logic gaps might be to blame. Check for missing conditions, unsupported tasks, or confusing formatting.

AI Agent is built to deliver fast, accurate support at scale, but like any teammate, it performs best when given clear and specific instructions. 

That’s where Guidance comes in. Writing structured prompts that tell your AI Agent exactly what to do in a given scenario helps reduce escalations, speed up resolutions, and create a more consistent customer experience. 

One simple, repeatable way to do that is with the “When, If, Then” framework. 

In this post, we’ll show you how it works, using examples from our Gorgias Academy course, Improve AI Agent with Better Guidance. 

You’ll learn how to write Guidance that results in:

• Fewer escalations
• Faster resolutions
• Smarter, more consistent AI behavior

Let’s break it down.

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What is Guidance?

Guidance is how you tell your AI Agent what to do. It’s a set of instructions that outlines how your AI Agent should respond in specific situations. 

When Guidance is available, your AI Agent follows it first, even before checking your Help Center or website content.

That means if your Guidance is missing, unclear, or incomplete, your AI Agent might escalate the ticket, or worse, give a confusing or unhelpful response. Here’s an example:

Let’s say a customer wants to return an item. A human agent would send them a link to the return portal and explain the steps. But without that instruction in Guidance, your AI Agent might skip straight to escalation, turning a simple request into unnecessary work for your team.

That’s why clear, step-by-step Guidance is key to help your AI Agent respond the way your best support agent would.

Learn more: Create Guidance to give AI Agent custom instructions 

Introducing the “When, If, Then” framework

Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when writing Guidance. The “When, If, Then” framework gives you a simple, repeatable structure to follow, so there’s no need to guess. 

Taking this approach mirrors how AI Agent processes information behind the scenes. When you write clear Guidance, your AI Agent can follow it step by step, just like a support teammate would.

Let’s walk through the three parts of the framework.

WHEN: Set the scenario

Start by identifying the situation your Guidance applies to. This is the trigger or scenario. Use it as the title of your Guidance so it’s easy to find later.

Example:

• WHEN a shopper asks to return an order
• WHEN a customer wants to cancel their subscription

Keep it simple and action-oriented. You’re setting the stage for what comes next.

IF: Add conditions

Once you’ve defined the scenario, add any conditions that determine what should happen. “If” statements help your AI Agent understand what to do based on specific details, like timing, order history, or customer tags.

Example:

• IF the order was placed less than or equal to 15 days ago
• IF the customer has a VIP tag in Shopify

Use as many “if” conditions as needed to guide different outcomes. Just make sure you cover all the possibilities so your AI Agent doesn’t get stuck.

THEN: Define the actions

This is where you tell your AI Agent exactly what to do. Be specific and use bullet points or numbered steps to keep things clear.

Example:

• Tell the shopper they’re eligible for a return
• Send them a link to the return portal
• Let them know they’ll receive a prepaid label once the form is submitted

The more clearly you outline the steps, the more consistently your AI Agent will perform.

The framework keeps your Guidance simple, structured, and easy to understand—for both your team and your AI Agent. When your AI Agent knows exactly what to do, it can deliver fast, accurate, and helpful responses that keep customers happy.

Put it all together

Say a shopper messages your store asking to return an item and you want AI Agent to send them to your return portal.

Here’s how this looks in a complete piece of Guidance:

WHEN a shopper asks to return an order:

IF the order was placed less than or equal to 15 days ago,   

THEN

• Tell the shopper they’re eligible for a return
• Send them a link to the return portal
• Let them know they’ll receive a prepaid label via email once they submit the form

9 support scenarios made better with Guidance

These nine scenarios come up constantly in ecommerce support, and they’re perfect candidates for automation. They follow predictable patterns and are quick to resolve when your AI Agent knows what to do.

Use the examples below to jumpstart your setup. Each one is written using the When, If, Then framework and can be copied directly into Gorgias.

1. Where’s my order? (WISMO)

WHEN a customer asks about their order status:

IF tracking information is available,

THEN

• Provide the tracking number and link to the carrier's tracking page.
• Inform the customer of the expected delivery date.

IF tracking information is unavailable,

THEN

• Inform the customer that the order is being prepared for shipment.
• Provide an estimated shipping date.

2. What size should I order?

WHEN a customer inquires about product sizing for [item name]:

IF the customer asks what size to get, or mentions they’re unsure about sizing,

THEN

• Share the sizing chart or guide.
• Offer recommendations based on common fit feedback.

3. Can I change my shipping address?

WHEN a customer requests to change their shipping address:

IF the order has not been fulfilled,

THEN

• Confirm the new address with the customer.
• Update the shipping address in Shopify (or your chosen platform).

IF the order has already been fulfilled,

THEN

• Inform the customer that the address cannot be changed.
• Provide options for order interception or return.

4. Can I cancel my order?

WHEN a customer asks to cancel their order:

IF the order has not been fulfilled,

THEN

• Confirm that we can cancel their order.
• Tell them they’ll receive their refund in 5-10 business days.

IF the order has already been fulfilled,

THEN

• Inform the customer that the order cannot be cancelled.
• Help to initiate a return once the item is delivered.

5. How do I return an item?

WHEN a customer asks about returning an item:

IF the return is within the allowed return window of [x] days after the order was received,

THEN

• Provide the return instructions and link to the return portal.
• Inform the customer about the refund process.

IF the return window has expired,

THEN

• Inform the customer that the return period has ended.
• Offer alternative solutions if available.

6. Do you have any discount codes?

WHEN a customer inquires about discounts or promo codes:

IF there is an active promotion for [item name],

THEN

• Share the current discount code and its terms.

IF there are no active promotions for [item name],

THEN

• Inform the customer that there are no current promotions.
• Suggest subscribing to the newsletter or following social media for future promos.

7. I want to pause my subscription.

WHEN a customer requests to pause their subscription:

IF the customer has an active subscription,

THEN

• Provide instructions on how to pause the subscription through their account.
• Confirm the pause and inform them of the next billing date.

8. When will this item be back in stock?

WHEN a customer asks about product restocking:

IF a restock date is available,

THEN

• Inform the customer of the expected restock date.

IF the restock date is unknown,

THEN

• Offer to notify the customer when the product is back in stock.
• Suggest similar products.

9. Do you ship internationally?

WHEN a customer inquires about international shipping:

IF international shipping is available,

THEN

• Confirm that international shipping is offered.
• Provide estimated delivery times and any additional fees.

IF international shipping is not available,

THEN

• Inform the customer that shipping is limited to specific regions.

Pro Tip: Test out your Guidance by going to AI Agent > Test, and iterate as you go.

Troubleshooting: Why Guidance might not trigger

If your AI Agent isn’t following your Guidance, or it’s escalating tickets you thought it could handle, run through this quick checklist to spot the issue:

• Has a descriptive, easy-to-understand name: Name your Guidance based on the scenario (e.g. When a shopper asks about returns).
• Clear IF and THEN conditions: Make sure your Guidance spells out what to do when a condition is met.
• Covers all variations (no gaps in logic): Don’t leave your AI Agent hanging. Include fallback instructions for all scenarios.
• No wall-of-text formatting: Break things up with line breaks, headers, and spacing to help AI Agent scan quickly.
• Clearly written steps with bullets or numbers: Use lists to make actions easy to follow, like you would for a teammate.
• Doesn’t include unsupported tasks: Avoid unsupported instructions like “send macro,” “assign to agent,” or “delay the response.”

Bonus: Let AI do the heavy lifting

Don’t have time to write Guidance from scratch? The good news is AI can help with that, too.

AI-generated Guidance is available for all AI Agent subscribers. This feature analyzes your historical ticket data and uses it to generate ready-to-use, customizable prompts for your AI Agent.

Here’s what it does:

• Analyzes past tickets to identify common support scenarios
• Generates step-by-step Guidance based on what’s worked before

Ready to level up your Guidance?

Clear, structured Guidance is the key to unlocking better performance from your AI Agent. With just one well-written “When, If, Then” prompt, you can reduce escalations, speed up resolutions, and give your shoppers a smoother experience.

Not sure where to start? Try writing Guidance for one common question today—like returns, order status, or promo codes. Or, if you want to go deeper, check out our free Gorgias Academy course. 

TL;DR:

• Your helpdesk shouldn't hold you back. If your team is buried in tickets or bouncing between tools, your platform might be the problem—not your process.
• Rising ticket volumes, slower response times, and clunky integrations are signs you’ve outgrown your platform. Don’t wait for these issues to impact revenue or retention.
• You’re not alone—fast-growing brands hit these roadblocks too. Dr. Bronner’s, Psycho Bunny, and Audien Hearing all switched platforms to support bigger growth with less friction.
• Helpdesk migration doesn’t have to be scary. With the right migration support, you can move quickly, avoid downtime, and give your team a tool they actually want to use.

As ticket volume grows, even the best CX teams start running into roadblocks: limited integrations, repetitive manual work, clunky interfaces, and slower response times. You patch things together. You make it work... until you can’t.

Many growing ecommerce brands find themselves trapped in a system that demands constant workarounds just to function.

If your current customer service platform feels more like a burden than a backbone, you’re not alone—and you’re not stuck.

In this post, we’ll walk through:

• The key signs it’s time to switch platforms
• What to prioritize when choosing your next one
• How brands like Pepper made a smooth move to Gorgias

The 5 warning signs you’ve outgrown your helpdesk

There’s a tipping point most brands hit as they scale. The signs are subtle at first—maybe your agents are taking longer to respond, or the volume of customer support tickets quietly outpaces your team. Then it starts affecting revenue, customer satisfaction, and retention. Big yikes.

Left unchecked, small inefficiencies can snowball into bigger operational challenges.

Catch these warning signs before they start costing you growth:

1. Rising ticket volume and slower resolution times

Support teams that are always playing catch-up rarely have time to focus on higher-value work. If your inbox is constantly overflowing or first response times are creeping up, it’s likely a sign your tools aren’t scaling with your business.

That’s exactly what happened with apparel brand Psycho Bunny.

“As we grew and expanded, we needed a tool that was better suited for Shopify, easier to manage, and offered better support to help us get the most out of the tool,” said Jean-Aymeri de Magistris, VP IT, Data & Analytics, and PMO at Psycho Bunny.

2. Agents constantly toggling between tabs and tools

If your agents are spending more time gathering context than solving problems, you’re losing time (and likely, patience) on both sides of the conversation. Fragmented tools can seriously undercut productivity.

Dr. Bronner’s experienced this firsthand, juggling Salesforce, spreadsheets, and disconnected systems.

“When I joined, we were logging calls and emails in Excel. It wasn’t scalable,” recalled Emily McEnany, Senior CX Manager at Dr. Bronner’s.

3. Clunky or missing integrations with your ecommerce stack

Some platforms require technical support even for small changes, such as custom workflows, new automations, or basic integrations. That may work at the start, but it becomes a bottleneck as your brand grows.

Disconnected systems strip away context, increasing the risk of mistakes. Whether it’s pulling up an order status or managing a return, agents need tools that work together, not against each other.

4. You’re stuck answering the same questions over and over

Every support team deals with repetitive inquiries. But without automation or self-service options, those tickets eat into your team’s time and keep you from focusing on higher-impact conversations.

Nude Project struggled to keep up with their ticket volume due to Zendesk’s lack of intuitive automation features. During Black Friday, the team received a record-high number of tickets—more than double their average volume.

“Connecting with customers through a screen is not always easy. With the high volume of messages, we need a tool that simplifies operational tasks while enabling effective communication and organization,” said Raquel J. Méndez, CX Manager at Nude Project.

5. Onboarding takes too long

Your platform should be easy for new hires to learn and for your team to evolve with. If ramping up agents takes weeks (or months), the platform might be getting in the way more than it’s helping.

Arcade Belts went through this process, trying one system, then switching back to one that better matched their needs.

“It just took a demo or two to realize what was actually going to support our team the way we needed,” their Ecommerce Coordinator, Grant, shared.

If any of these challenges sound familiar, you’re not alone. 

The important part is recognizing when you’ve outgrown your current setup—and knowing that there are options out there to help you move faster.

What to look for when switching CX platforms

Switching platforms isn’t just about solving today’s problems. It’s about creating space for your team to be efficient, serve customers better, and turn support from a cost center into a real growth engine.

Need to migrate to a new platform? Look for the following:

1. A system that keeps up with rising ticket volumes

As your brand grows, support volume naturally increases. 

Find a stable infrastructure that can handle that growth, has zero platform lag, and a robust engineering team that continuously makes the tool better for your needs.

To Psycho Bunny, Zendesk was a “legacy tool”—so they switched to Gorgias.

In just a few weeks, they migrated all historical conversations, tags, and Macros to Gorgias. Jean-Aymeri, their VP IT, credits Gorgias’s helpful onboarding specialists for making it effortless to integrate their apps and onboard their team onto a brand new tool.

Related: The engineering work that keeps Gorgias running smoothly

2. Automation for repetitive tasks (that maintains the human touch)

From “where’s my order” questions to return policies, prioritize AI tools that can automate repetitive inquiries.

Dr. Bronner’s implemented AI Agent to handle rising volumes of FAQs, allowing their team to focus on complex requests that require a human touch.

In just two months, they saw:

• 45% of all customer service tickets automated
• $100,000 saved per year by switching from Salesforce to Gorgias
• 4 days per month in team time savings
• 11% higher customer satisfaction score 

By systematizing the simple stuff, they freed up bandwidth to focus on what matters most—building relationships and solving more nuanced problems.

3. Built-in features that turn support into sales

More brands are rethinking how support contributes to revenue. Look for a tool that combines support and sales. The most effective ones use AI to initiate upselling conversations, so your team can generate new revenue without needing to scale headcount at the same rate.

For jewelry brand Caitlyn Minimalist, which normally saw 30,000 tickets per month, AI Agent was the perfect fit. On top of answering FAQs, AI Agent also helped recommend products based on customer needs.

These conversations often begin as simple inquiries (“What should I get for my friend’s birthday?” or “What product suits me?”) and end in a purchase—handled entirely by AI. In fact, AI Agent’s conversion rates were 150% higher than the team average, proving that automation can support and sell.

4. A more efficient workflow—without relying on developers

The last thing scaling brands should have to worry about is relying on developers for basic changes. That includes being able to create macros and automations in-house and access key customer data without toggling across tools. 

The platform should fit into your existing ecommerce stack—not fight against it.

That’s where Audien Hearing found themselves before switching to Gorgias.

“I’ve seen companies lose a lot of money because it’s not efficient,” said Zoe Kahn, former VP of CX. “You try to save money early on, but then you look at your helpdesk a year later and think, ‘Oh no, what’s happening?’”

Since switching from Richpanel, Audien Hearing’s CX team has been able to run CX on their own terms—without the bottlenecks.

They now resolve 9,000 tickets per month through self-service alone (including a customer knowledge base), cut first response times by 88%, and reduced return rates by 5%. With more time for one-on-one conversations, CSAT jumped from 80 to 86.

What migration actually looks like

“But migration sounds hard.”

We get it. Moving your entire CX operation can feel intimidating. But with the right partner (and the right platform), it doesn’t have to be.

Here’s how Gorgias makes switching smooth and stress-free:

• A dedicated onboarding team: Our team is with you every step of the way—from initial setup to post-launch optimization.
• A platform built for ecommerce workflows: Gorgias is designed to work the way ecommerce brands do, not the other way around.
• Fast setup and agent training: Most brands are up and running in days, not weeks. And because the interface is intuitive, teams can get comfortable quickly without heavy, time-consuming training.
• Full data migration support: Whether you’re moving from Gladly, Zendesk, or another platform, we’ll help you bring your history, macros, and workflows over smoothly.

Most Gorgias customers are fully live within just a few days—ready to serve customers faster, smarter, and with less manual lift.

How Pepper made a smooth switch to Gorgias

When fast-growing intimates brand Pepper outgrew their old CX platform, they knew they needed a system that could scale with them—without sacrificing speed or quality.

“Gladly didn’t offer any automation or inbox organization features. Our queue got really messy. We got 400 tickets a day during Black Friday, and we didn’t clear that backlog until the following Spring. We knew we couldn’t do that again,” explained Gabrielle McWhirter, CX Operations Lead at Pepper.

With Gorgias, Pepper was able to:

• Fully migrate their workflows and history
• Train their team quickly on the new platform
• Launch their AI Agent ("Penelope") to automate more than 50% of support tickets

And the results spoke for themselves:

• 16.5x ROI on AI-driven sales interactions
• 90%+ decrease in first response and resolution times
• 18% uplift in average order value

See how Pepper made the switch happen (and why they’re never looking back):

Is it time to make the switch?

If you’re seeing the warning signs, here’s a quick gut check:

• You’re drowning in tickets and toggling between tabs
• You can’t track or tie support to revenue
• You need better integration with your tech stack
• You’re not using automation, or it’s not actually saving time
• Your team dreads logging into your current tool

The right platform won’t just help your team work better. It’ll help you drive more revenue, boost customer retention, and actually make customers want to talk to you.

See what switching to Gorgias could do for your brand. Book a demo today.

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TL;DR:

• Your CX team drives revenue: Build trust, remove friction, and influence buying decisions across the customer journey
• Optimize existing processes: Automate tasks, address concerns proactively, and create efficient handoffs
• Spot risk early: Use tagging and sentiment detection to re-engage customers before they churn
• Protect VIPs: Prioritize loyal customers, create moments of delight, turn supporters into advocates

Rising tariffs. Shipping delays. Unpredictable price hikes. For ecommerce, it's an understatement to say the pressure is rising. If you're on the CX team, you're already facing the fire head-on — all the customer frustration, confusion, and hesitation.

CX teams are on the frontlines of support and sales. You're shaping customer trust, buying decisions, and brand loyalty. 

From pre-sales conversations to loyalty programs, it’s time to rethink the customer journey, so you can turn every interaction into an opportunity to grow your revenue.

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Reframe CX’s role across the customer journey

Customer service isn’t just about reacting to problems. It can be a proactive and strategic function that helps you stabilize and even grow your revenue.

Think about it this way: you have the power to turn everyday customer moments into wins.

At every stage of the customer journey, you can turn:

1. Purchase hesitation -> confidence to buy (pre-sales)
2. Concern → relief (post-purchase)
3. Disinterest -> re-engagement (loyalty)
4. Returning customers → brand advocates (advocacy)

This isn’t about being pushy for sales. It's about anticipating needs and putting systems in place that protect customer relationships and revenue.

As you update your CX workflow, keep these two questions in mind:

1. How can I positively influence revenue?
2. How can I reduce the risk of losing it?

1. Resolve pre-sales hesitation with education

Most pre-sales hesitation is rooted in uncertainty: What’s the return policy? How much is shipping? Will this fit? Will it arrive in time? 

Reduce customer effort and build confidence with automation as your CX team’s first line of defense. Anything else more complicated, your agents can take care of.

Automate repetitive questions

Start by setting up automated answers for the questions your team responds to every day, especially the ones that delay conversions:

• Where is my order?
• Do you ship internationally?
• How much is shipping?
• Do you accept returns?
• Are your prices affected by tariffs?

There are a few ways to automate these questions in Gorgias: 

• Flows: Automated conversations designed to resolve common inquiries without agent intervention
• AI Agent: Conversational AI that answers customer questions in chat and email, trained on your internal documents and brand voice
• Help Center: A self-serve, customer-facing knowledge base of help articles, FAQs, guides, and product resources

Read more: How to optimize your help center for AI Agent

Proactively guide shoppers

Be the compass for the wandering window shoppers and browsers. They might not know exactly what to get, but with the right nudge, you can guide them toward the right product and a fuller cart.

Try these chat prompts:

• Don’t know what size to get? Check out our sizing guide to get your perfect fit!
• Need help choosing the right carry-on? Here’s a quick comparison of our top sellers.
• We offer free shipping for orders over $60! 
• What’s your skin type — dry, oily, or combination?

Offer discounts based on shopper intent

Sometimes, a discount is all a customer needs to take their order to checkout. Instead of storewide promo codes, use AI to offer tailored discounts to shoppers who show strong intent to buy. This can help reduce abandoned carts and leave customers with a great impression of your brand.

Here are some of the best times to offer a discount:

• A first-time shopper is hesitant because of the price
• A shopper adds an item to their cart, then asks about shipping or return policies
• A shopper asks if they should wait for a sale

Recommend products in real time

If shoppers can’t quickly find what they’re looking for, they’ll leave. Real-time product recommendations help resolve indecision and increase average order value.

Examples of when real-time suggestions drive conversions:

• A shopper asks for jeans in medium — AI suggests bestsellers in their size
• A returning customer mentions loving a nude-colored top — AI recommends similar or matching items
• A product is out of stock — AI suggests alternatives based on color or style

Hand off high-intent shoppers to live agents

High-intent questions are usually specific and goal-oriented — things like:

• What size should I get?
• How soon can this ship?
• Is this item still in stock?

When customers ask questions that directly impact their ability to purchase, it’s a strong buying signal. If they don’t get a fast response, they’ll probably abandon their cart.

So, how do you encourage shoppers to keep shopping?

Activate chat on your website and equip it with automated features, such as Flows, and/or conversational AI, like AI Agent. 

No matter what setup you choose, always have a protocol ready to hand off to a human agent when needed.

In Gorgias, you can set up Rules or use AI Agent handover rules to automatically route conversations based on specific keywords, topics, or customer behavior.

2. Alleviate post-purchase concerns

After buying, customers may want to change their order or just need reassurance that everything is on its way. 

If customers feel ignored during this critical window, you risk losing their business.

The easy fix? Eliminate friction, reassure customers, and make it easy for them to stay excited about their purchase.

Automate order status updates

Customers expect full visibility into their orders. Give them full access to this information, and you'll receive fewer WISMO requests.

Integrate your helpdesk with your 3PL or shipping provider to automatically send real-time updates on order status. If customers have an account portal, give them a tracking link.

Pro Tip: If delays are expected, automate messages to let customers know ahead of time. Being proactive keeps customers informed and reduces the need for reactive support.

Turn negative experiences into retention moments

When something goes wrong, like a delay, a lost package, or unexpected fees, it's how you respond that matters most.

Empower your CX team to act quickly. For example:

• Offer store credit, loyalty points, or free shipping perks to impacted customers
• Prioritize VIP or first-time buyers for fast-tracked resolutions
• Escalate critical post-purchase issues to senior agents

You can also use sentiment detection to flag frustrated customers early. Gorgias has built-in customer sentiment detection that automatically identifies tones like urgent, negative, positive, or even threatening language. You can create Rules that tag these conversations and route them to the right agent for faster handling.

Read more: Customer sentiments

3. Re-engage at-risk customers and reduce churn

Just because a customer is at risk doesn’t mean you’ve lost them. Identifying and re-engaging at-risk customers is one of the highest-impact things you can do to protect revenue. 

Spot risk early

Pay attention to repeat patterns that signal dissatisfaction. Common early indicators include:

• Multiple shipping complaints
• Frequent refund or return requests
• Negative or urgent sentiment in support tickets
• Long periods of customer inactivity after purchase

Use sentiment detection and Ticket Fields (ticket properties) to tag these signals automatically. With this data identified, you’ll start to spot patterns that can help you address issues, giving customers a reason to stay. 

Build recovery flows

Once you’ve identified your at-risk customers, use win-back strategies, like:

• Offering discount codes, loyalty perks, or free returns
• Sending personalized emails or messages acknowledging the issue and offering solutions
• Prioritizing conversations for your most experienced agents or account managers

When handled thoughtfully, a churn-risk customer can become one of your strongest advocates because you showed up when it mattered most.

4. Build loyalty by surprising your best customers

Don’t forget, there are already customers who love you! These loyal customers don’t just come back to buy again — they bring friends, amplify your brand, and give your business stability when you need it most.

Identify and prioritize VIPs

Use customer data to identify customers who purchase frequently, spend more, or have referred others. Tag them as VIPs in your helpdesk so that their requests are prioritized.

For example, in Gorgias, you can use Customer Fields (customer labels and properties) to group your customers under:

• VIP
• Repeat purchaser
• High lifetime value
• Promoter

When you know who your top customers are, you can offer more personalized service and make sure every interaction strengthens their connection to your brand.

Create brand advocates through small gestures

You don’t need to offer huge discounts to let customers know you appreciate them. Small, thoughtful gestures often make the biggest impact:

• Send handwritten thank-you notes with their orders
• Offer a free gift, upgrade, or loyalty perk after a milestone purchase
• Include a referral code they can share with friends
• Feature loyal customers on your social media channels (with their permission)

If you’re using macros and automations, you can even trigger some of these surprise-and-delight actions automatically, making it easier to scale while keeping the personal touch.

Make revenue your outcome at any time

We know how overwhelming uncertain times can be. It’s easy to think you need to reinvent your entire strategy just to keep up. 

But the truth is, you already have what you need. You have a team that knows your customers. You have conversations happening every day that can protect, nurture, and even grow your business.

By grounding yourself in what’s already working and creating proactive systems, you can turn uncertainty into strong and steady growth.

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TL;DR:

• Clear policies reduce tickets. When customers can’t find return windows or shipping timelines, they turn to your support team — often unnecessarily.
• Each vertical has different CX needs. A fashion shopper wants fit info. An electronics buyer needs setup help. Tailor your policies to match.
• Proactive placement matters. Don’t bury policies in the footer — surface them in product pages, chat, emails, and account portals where customers actually look.
• Policy + AI = self-service support. Gorgias’s AI Agent can guide shoppers to answers instantly, reducing WISMO and freeing up your team for high-value work.

For many ecommerce teams, store policies are an afterthought, tucked away in the footer or buried deep in the FAQ. But they shouldn’t be.

Great customer experience (CX) starts before a customer reaches out. And with 55% of shoppers preferring self-service support, your store policies are often their first stop for answers.

In this guide, we break down the must-have policies for five key ecommerce verticals, based on real Gorgias ticket data. From shipping delays to subscription changes, you’ll learn how to prevent tickets before they happen.

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Why store policies are a CX power move

If you’re constantly fielding questions about returns, shipping times, or order changes, it’s a policy opportunity.

Well-crafted store policies are one of your CX team's most effective tools for setting expectations, building trust, and preventing support issues before they happen. When done right, they turn common friction points into effortless experiences.

Common blind spots that lead to tickets

When policies are vague or hard to find, customers turn to your inbox, driving up ticket volume and slowing down your support team.

Here are the most common blind spots we see:

• Unclear or missing return windows lead to questions like, “Can I still return this?”
• No defined process for exchanges or edits confuses customers who need to fix an order.
• Subscription rules hidden in fine print frustrate loyal customers trying to pause, skip, or cancel.
• Shipping timelines that shift without explanation cause “Where’s my order?” messages that could’ve been avoided.

When policies aren’t clear or easy to find, customers turn to your inbox. And that means more tickets, wait times, and pressure on your team.

Proactive policies = fewer tickets, happier customers

Based on real data from Gorgias, these are the top 10 tickets customers send across channels like chat, contact forms, and email:

1. Order damaged
2. No reply tickets
3. Shipping policy
4. Shipping change
5. Order change
6. Product question
7. Return status
8. Thank you tickets
9. Discount request
10. Shipping status

What do most of these have in common? You can address them with clear, accessible policies. 

15 store policies you need, organized by industry

Customer expectations aren’t one-size-fits-all, and your store policies shouldn’t be either.

What shoppers expect from a fashion brand is very different from what they need from a wellness company or electronics provider. 

We’ve broken down the top policy must-haves by vertical, using real-world examples from Gorgias customers and ticket data.

Use these examples as your plug-and-play guide to write better policies, reduce ticket volume, and create smoother support experiences — no matter what you sell.

Apparel and fashion

When it comes to fashion, uncertainty drives tickets. “Will this fit?” “Can I return it?” “Where’s my order?” The most successful fashion brands like Princess Polly cut down on support volume by making these answers easy to find before customers ever reach out.

Key policies to prioritize

• Returns and exchanges: Be clear on timeframes, conditions, and the process. Bonus points for adding visuals or quick links to return portals.
• Size guide and fit: To minimize confusion, include details on model sizing, garment measurements, and fit notes.
• Order changes: Let customers know how to update their order before it ships.
• Shipping timelines: Set expectations around processing and delivery windows (especially during peak seasons).

Where to share store policies

• Link return and shipping policies on product detail pages (PDPs).
• Trigger chat campaigns with the sizing guide when shoppers linger on product pages.
• Add return instructions in post-purchase emails to cut “How do I return this?” tickets.

Consumer goods

Consumer goods customers often want to know two things right away: “What’s it made of?” and “When will it get here?” These questions can quickly pile up in your inbox if your policies aren’t front and center.

Trove Brands, home to household favorites like BlenderBottle and Owala, solves this by proactively answering product and shipping questions across their site and emails.

Key policies to prioritize

• Shipping: Share estimated delivery times, carrier information, and instructions on how customers can track their orders.
• Product specs and materials: List dimensions, materials, care instructions, and safety notes to avoid product-related confusion.
• Damage/defect resolution: Set clear expectations around what qualifies as a defect and how customers can report it.
• Warranty or guarantee: Outline what’s covered, for how long, and how to claim it, especially important for durable goods.

At the end of each product page, BlenderBottle shares a support menu where shoppers can find information on order status and replacement parts. 

Where to share store policies

• Embed product-related FAQs directly on PDPs to answer questions where they arise.
• Use conversational AI assistants like AI Agent to automatically resolve tickets related to product questions and damaged orders.
• Add warranty and damage policy links in order confirmation and shipping emails to keep customers informed.

Read more: What's the secret to reducing WISMO requests?

Consumer electronics

In electronics, clarity is everything. Customers want to know how to use the product, what to do if it doesn’t work, and how to get a replacement — without jumping through hoops.

Over-the-counter hearing aid company Audien Hearing nails this by creating crystal-clear support content around setup, shipping, and returns, so customers can troubleshoot confidently and independently.

Key policies to prioritize

• Warranty/repairs: Explain what’s covered, how to file a claim, and turnaround times for repairs or replacements.
• Returns and exchanges: Clearly state the return window, list of eligible items, processing time, and whether you accept refunds, in-store credit, or exchanges.
• Shipping and delivery expectations: Share average delivery timelines and what to expect once a product ships.
• Troubleshooting steps: Provide self-service guides for common issues like connectivity, battery life, or setup confusion.

Audien Hearing has clear visual policies that make it simple for shoppers to find the info they need quickly. 

Where to share store policies

• In chat, set up an automated flow that answers questions like “How do I set this up?” or “Can I return this?”
• Let customers track their return or exchange process, especially when high-value items are involved.
• Create step-by-step guides, accompanied by video or images, in your Help Center for setup and basic troubleshooting.
• Include warranty and return information in the product packaging, so customers have it readily available in case something goes wrong.

Health and wellness

In the health and wellness space, trust and transparency are everything. Customers want to feel confident that the products they’re using are safe and that the support will be just as thoughtful as the product itself.

Brands like period underwear brand Saalt do this exceptionally well, pairing clear product education with empathetic policies that guide customers through everything from first use to subscription changes.

Key policies to prioritize

• Product safety and use: Provide detailed instructions, safety disclaimers, and FAQs for first-time users, especially for intimate or ingestible products.
• Returns (especially for hygiene items): Be upfront about what can and can’t be returned, and include compassionate language to build trust.
• Order change or cancellation: Make it easy to update or cancel orders, especially for items that ship quickly or automatically.
• Subscription FAQs: Clearly explain how to skip, pause, or cancel a subscription, and what benefits subscribers get.

Saalt lets customers phrase questions themselves or choose from a dropdown menu.

Where to share store policies

• Prioritize clarity on your contact form by using dropdowns or checkboxes to organize customer inquiries by topic.
• Let AI Agent handle recurring product questions like “How do I use this?” or “Is this safe?” to free up your team.
• Include shipping and return info in SMS flows so customers can get answers on-the-go, without needing to email.

Food and beverage

Food and beverage customers tend to be both curious and cautious. They want to know what they’re putting in their bodies — and what to do if something goes wrong with the order. 

Brands like Everyday Dose get ahead of these concerns by making their policies clear, accessible, and customer-first.

Key policies to prioritize

• Ingredient and allergen disclaimers: Transparency is everything. List ingredients, possible allergens, and sourcing details to build trust.
• Subscription changes: Give customers full control to pause, skip, or cancel deliveries with minimal friction.
• Damaged orders: Outline what customers should do if a product arrives broken or spoiled, and how fast they can expect a replacement.
• Shipping and delivery FAQs: Cover delivery timeframes, how orders are packed, and what to do if a shipment is delayed.

Everyday Dose lists frequently asked questions and makes it simple for customers to find important allergen and ingredient information. 

Given that Everyday Dose is a mushroom supplement brand, many shoppers will likely have questions around allergens and exact ingredients. On each of their product pages, there is a clear “Read the Label” button. 

Everyday Dose also has a chat which encourages customers to click through to the correct support link or to track their order. 

Where to share store policies

• Enable self-service order management on chat to give customers real-time updates on shipping status and subscription changes.
• Feature policy links prominently in your customer account portal — especially for managing subscriptions.
• Include your damage/return policy in post-purchase and thank-you emails, so customers know exactly what to do if something’s wrong.

Pro Tip: Use a conversational AI platform to handle common questions at scale. For example, Gorgias’s AI Agent can instantly respond to FAQs like “How much is shipping?” or “When will my order arrive?” — all in your brand’s voice. And when a request needs a human touch, it routes the ticket to the right agent automatically.

Best practices for writing and distributing store policies

Even the most well-written policy won’t reduce tickets if it’s buried three clicks deep in your footer. To truly support your customers (and lighten your team’s workload), your policies need to show up in the right places, at the right moments.

Here’s how to get them in front of customers when they need them most:

Surface policies across key customer touchpoints

• Product detail pages: Link to size guides, shipping timelines, or ingredient lists directly on PDPs.
• Chat: Use a combination of automated flows and conversational AI to proactively suggest relevant policies based on the customer’s question or page.
• Help center: Turn your most common ticket topics into easy-to-scan articles with clear titles and headers.
• Email flows: Include return and warranty info in post-purchase emails, shipping updates, and thank-you messages.
• Account portals: Make it easy for customers to manage subscriptions, view order policies, and find FAQs in their account dashboard.
• SMS or mobile support: Include quick policy reminders in transactional texts, like shipping delays or renewal reminders.

3 core elements of a strong store policy

1. Clear: Use plain language, short sentences, and bullet points. Avoid legal jargon.
2. Accessible: Link them prominently in your footer, header, Help Center homepage, chat, and product pages.
3. Actionable: Tell customers exactly what to do — where to click, who to contact, and what to expect.

Well-placed policies turn support into a self-service experience. They empower your customers to get what they need without ever opening a ticket — and that’s a win for everyone.

Turn store policies into your first line of support 

Clear, proactive policies do more than answer questions. They prevent tickets, build trust, and make your support team’s job easier. By tailoring your policies to your industry and placing them where customers actually need them, you turn potential friction points into smooth experiences.

Want to take it a step further? Book a demo to see Gorgias’s AI Agent handle common inquiries like shipping, returns, and product questions, across chat, email, and contact forms.

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If you're an ecommerce leader right now, you’re likely facing a new wave of uncertainty. Rising tariffs, disrupted imports, and sudden cost increases are putting pressure on your margins, and your customer relationships.

At Gorgias, we are working with thousands of brands that are grappling with tough calls: adjust prices, shift sourcing, or absorb costs to protect loyalty. And while the supply chain is where these issues start, the customer experience is where they play out.

Whether you’re a growing DTC or an enterprise brand, your customers deserve transparency. We know the pressure you're under, and we're here to help you navigate it. To help you not only manage the conversation, but lead it with clarity, empathy, and speed. 

Ecommerce brands are in an impossible position right now, following the 24 hours news cycle, and waiting to see how tariffs will cut into profits and impact their business. 

For customers? It can create confusion, frustration, and a flurry of angry tickets if brands aren’t proactive and transparent. But here's the truth: how your team talks about tariffs is just as important as what they say.

These moments of friction, and how you communicate these changes to your customers can be opportunities to build trust, reduce churn, and even demonstrate the real revenue power of your team. In a moment when clarity and trust are everything, the role of CX leaders is more important than ever. 

When tariffs hit, CX takes the call

Tariffs may seem like a back-end issue, but in reality, they shape front-end experiences—from product pricing and availability to fulfillment speed and satisfaction.

For ecommerce brands, especially those sourcing from China or shipping globally, these trade shifts hit close to home. Products get more expensive, shipping slows down, and some SKUs disappear altogether.

And CX teams are often the first to hear about it. The question isn’t if you should communicate tariff implications, but how.

What customers actually want to know 

Here’s the good news: customers don’t expect you to control global trade policy. But they do expect honesty.

What matters most right now is:

• Transparency: Be clear about what’s changing and why.
• Timing: Tell them before they find out at checkout.
• Empathy: Acknowledge that increased prices or delays are frustrating and explain what you're doing to help.

And even more specifically, your customers are likely looking for answers to three simple questions: 

1. Did the price increase? Why? 
2. Why can’t I find this product anymore? 
3. Is my order going to be delayed? 

In times of change, trust becomes foundational. If you're not upfront about what’s happening and how it affects them, customers will fill in the blank, or worse, turn to competitors. 

How to talk tariffs without losing trust 

Be clear, not complicated

Tariffs are complex, but your messaging shouldn’t be. Strip out the policy jargon and explain the changes in human terms. Let customers know what’s changing, why it’s happening, and what steps you’re taking to protect their experience.

Instead of: “Due to regulatory changes impacting import duties…”

Say: “Because of new tariffs, some of our prices have gone up. Here’s why, and what we’re doing to keep costs down.”

Say the same thing everywhere 

From your Help Center to your agents to your email updates, your message should be consistent. Mismatched explanations create confusion and erode trust. Align your team on the key talking points and update scripts and automations across all customer touchpoints.

Speaking of your Help Center, now might be a great time to create an article specifically about tariffs and how you’re approaching them. The article can serve as a source of truth for your customers and your AI agents on the front lines answering questions.

Lead with empathy

Customers don’t just want the facts, they want to know you care. Acknowledge the frustration, and offer reassurance. Small gestures like a personalized note or a shipping perk can show you’re on their side.

Be specific and honest 

Generic messages fall flat. Give customers details that they can rely on: Are the changes permanent? Are you absorbing part of the cost? Is a specific product impacted? When you’re upfront about the situation, and how you’re responding to it, you build credibility.

Decide how AI Agents should help

Times of uncertainty are times to cut costs, but it may also mean increased ticket volume. AI agents can help on the frontlines. But be sure to build your handovers to escalate to your team in the right moments to build trust.

Start with transparency: Beis sets the bar

Luggage brand, Beis, recently sent an email to customers that is a great example in customer-first communication. Rather than quietly raising prices or burying fees in checkout, they called it what it was: tariffs.

They explained the change clearly, why it was happening, and what customers could expect. And most importantly, they acknowledged the frustration. No spin, or vague language, just a clear message from a brand that respects its customers enough to be honest with them.

This kind of proactive messaging does more than prevent a flood of support tickets. It creates alignment between the brand and the customer. Beis didn’t make the rules but they’re navigating them with their customers, not in spite of them.

Make it a CX conversation, not just a policy page 

Too often, tariff policies get relegated to the FAQ page or terms and conditions. Customers typically only land there after they’re already confused or upset.

Instead, CX should treat tariffs as a key part of the customer journey and be equipped to speak about them empathetically and clearly. 

1. Proactive chat leads to fewer surprises

Add a proactive message to your chat widget that addresses tariff-related questions before they even come up. A short note like, “You may notice some pricing changes – here’s why,” with a link to your FAQ or a specific article, helps to deflect confusion and prevents cart abandonment. 

2. Update your FAQ with key information 

Surface timely information right where customers are most likely to look. Use your chat or search function to include a clear callout. 

“Looking for information on recent pricing or shipping updates? Here’s what changed.” 

This type of visibility empowers self-service, and reduces ticket volume. 

3. Equip your agents with scripts that are genuine 

Don’t leave your support team guessing. Create internal scripts with clear language on what to say (and what to avoid) when talking tariffs. Script empathy, not just compliance: Empower agents with language that acknowledges the inconvenience while reinforcing the brand's values.

Say: 

• We’ve made some pricing updates due to new tariffs, and we’re doing everything we can to minimize the impact. 
• We know this change may be frustrating. Here’s how we’re helping our customers through it. 

Avoid: 

• Overly technical or vague terms like “regulatory adjustments” or “economic climate shifts.” 
• Any messaging that deflects responsibility or blames external factors without explanation. 

4. Build smart macros for Tariff FAQs

If you’re using automation, make sure your AI Agent and autoresponders can explain tariff policies accurately and compassionately. Use macros to ensure fast, consistent replies, without sacrificing tone. Some key macro themes to create: 

• Why did prices increase? 
• Are tariffs permanent? 
• Is my order delayed because of tariffs? 
• Why is this product no longer available? 

Each macro should strike a balance of clarity, empathy, and brand voice, offering both the what and the why. 

You can’t control tariffs. But you can control trust. 

Tariffs might be out of your control. But how you talk about them? That’s entirely in your hands.

This is your moment as a CX leader, not just to react but to lead. To turn friction into transparency, tension into trust, and confusion into connection. Because when policies change overnight and customer confidence is on the line, the brands that communicate with honesty, consistency, and care don’t just survive. They strengthen loyalty.

Your customers don’t expect perfection. They expect clarity. They expect empathy. And they expect you to show up.

At Gorgias, we’re here to make sure you can. With tools to automate answers, personalize conversations, and empower your team to deliver the kind of CX that builds long-term brand equity, even when times get tough.

TL;DR:

• Most chargebacks occur due to poor merchant communication rather than fraud. Customers choose this path when they feel ignored or frustrated.
• 80% of customers report never being contacted by merchants after filing a chargeback. 23% file immediately after an issue and 38% file within 1-3 days if unresolved.
• The most common chargeback reason is "product not received" (35%). 79% of all chargebacks are actually "friendly fraud" filed for invalid claims.‍
• Prevention requires fast customer support and automated chargeback management. Combining Gorgias for AI-powered support with Chargeflow for automated dispute management provides a comprehensive solution with faster resolutions and higher win rates.

Chargebacks are more than a thorn in a merchant’s side — they’re a growing financial and operational threat. According to Ethoca, chargebacks are projected to more than double, from $7.2 billion in 2019 to $15.3 billion by 2026 in the U.S. alone. And while fraud plays a role, the primary reason customers file chargebacks is simpler: they feel ignored. 

At Chargeflow, we recently published a comprehensive report analyzing why customers dispute chargebacks. The findings were eye-opening. While it’s true that fraud is a real concern, most chargebacks happen for a different reason: a lack of communication between merchants and customers.  

Top stats from Chargeflow’s report:

• 23% of customers file a chargeback immediately after an issue.
• 38% file a chargeback within 1-3 days if unresolved.
• 80% report never being contacted by the merchant.
• 52% are likely to dispute if the response is too slow.

When customers feel ignored or frustrated, they often turn to their bank for a solution instead of reaching out to the merchant first. Understanding these behaviors is key to preventing disputes before they escalate and cause chaos. 

So, what actually drives customers to dispute charges? Here’s what the data says.

Why customers file chargebacks

While chargebacks are often the cost of doing business, the truth is that many disputes are preventable — but only if merchants understand the root causes. We identified five key drivers behind chargebacks.

1. Customers take immediate action

According to our research, most customers file a dispute right away after encountering an issue, leaving no opportunity to resolve the problem. Another 38% file within one to three days if they don’t receive a timely response. 

Why? Customers assume the fastest way to get their money back is by filing a chargeback, especially if they receive no response from the merchant.

2. Lack of communication leads to disputes

We found that 80% of customers never receive a follow-up after filing a chargeback. Additionally, 64% of customers state immediate communication is crucial, yet many businesses fail to reach out.

• 90% of customers tried to reach out to the merchant first.
• If they don’t receive a response, they quickly file a dispute. 

Why? Customers expect businesses to be proactive. When they don’t hear back quickly, they assume the merchant won’t help, making a chargeback seem like the best option.

3. Chargebacks are too easy for customers

98% of customers report a neutral to highly satisfactory experience when filing chargebacks, and only 12% are denied. 

Why? Many customers believe chargebacks are faster and easier than dealing with merchants directly, especially if return policies are unclear. 

4. Transaction issues drive chargebacks

The most common reason for filing a chargeback is “product not received” (35% of the cases). Other common reasons included:

• Fraudulent transaction claims - 16%
• Product significantly not as described - 15%
• Unauthorized transaction - 15%

Why? When customers don’t receive clear shipping updates or experience delivery delays, they assume their order won’t arrive and file a chargeback rather than waiting.

5. Friendly fraud is a major problem

Friendly fraud occurs when a cardholder makes a legitimate purchase but later disputes the charge as fraudulent or unauthorized, leading their card issuer to reverse the payment. 

Our research found that:

• 21% of customers admitted to not fully understanding the chargeback process. 
• Another 20% aren’t even aware of what a chargeback is. 
• 97% of consumers believe they’ve never filed a chargeback incorrectly, while only 3% admit they have.

According to our State of Chargebacks report, 79% of chargebacks are actually friendly fraud, meaning they were filed for invalid reasons.

Why? Many customers mistakenly believe that a chargeback is just another way to request a refund, rather than a process intended for fraud or merchant failure. 

📌 The takeaway: Most chargebacks aren’t actual fraud, but rather a result of customer confusion, impatience, or poor communication from merchants.

The solution: how to stop chargebacks before they happen

Merchants who want to stop chargebacks before they happen need a two-part strategy:

• Fast, customer-focused support to resolve issues before customers dispute charges. 
• Automated chargeback management to detect and fight disputes efficiently, so merchants don’t lose revenue to invalid claims.

Chargebacks result from slow response times, poor communication, and unresolved issues, not fraud. Adopting AI-driven customer support and chargeback automation allows businesses to significantly reduce disputes and retain more revenue. 

How AI-powered support & chargeback automation work together

Instant responses prevent frustration-driven chargebacks

Many chargebacks happen because customers don’t receive a fast enough response. In fact, 52% say they will dispute a charge if the response time is too slow. AI-powered chatbots provide real-time support, resolving issues before they escalate. 

Proactive communication reduces uncertainty

Customers expect updates regarding orders and refunds, but often don’t receive them. 80% of customers report never hearing from a merchant after filing a chargeback. 

Automated order updates, refund confirmations, and proactive notifications keep customers informed, reducing unnecessary disputes.

24/7 availability ensures no issues go unanswered

Customers expect round-the-clock support, but most businesses can’t provide live assistance. AI-powered ticketing and automation ensure every customer receives help, regardless of the time zone or urgency.

The result? Fewer chargebacks, faster resolutions, and increased customer satisfaction.

Actionable strategies for improving response times

Prioritize long-term clients

It’s impossible to please every customer. On average, chargebacks take 50 days to resolve successfully. Focus your energy on retaining high-value, long-term customers.

Prioritize high-risk inquiries

Lost inquiries take on average 15 days to resolve, and lost chargebacks take 38 days. Prioritize cases based on impact. 

Build efficient escalation systems

Advanced automated ticketing systems can route inquiries and prioritize urgent cases.

Use pre-approved resolution templates

Ensure customer service teams have quick-response templates to speed their resolutions.

Work closely with shipping carriers

“Product not received” was the most cited reason for delivery-related chargebacks. Work closely with carriers and third-party suppliers to improve fulfillment and reduce disputes.

Leverage chargeback management tools

Use automated tools for real-time analytics, enhanced communication, and proactive alerts, which will reduce response times. 

Gorgias & Chargeflow: A fully automated chargeback prevention system

Successfully tackling chargebacks requires both proactive customer support and automated dispute management. That’s why Gorgias and Chargeflow work so well together to give merchants a comprehensive defense against disputes.

Post-purchase automation isn’t just about reducing customer support workload or quick replies. It's about finding the most effective ways to increase customer loyalty and prevent disputes.

Learn more about how AI-driven automation enhances post-purchase experiences here.

How Gorgias prevents chargebacks with conversational AI

• Automated real-time responses engage customers before they decide to dispute charges.
• Proactive customer communication ensures customers receive updates on their orders, refunds, and transactions.
• 24/7 availability ensures customers receive the support they need without increasing overhead. 

How Chargeflow automates chargeback prevention & recovery

• Pre-dispute alerts notify merchants before a chargeback is finalized and provide proactive intervention.
• AI-powered chargeback responses to automate evidence collection and improve win rates. 
• Smart analytics to help merchants understand why disputes happen and how they can prevent them. 

Final thoughts: Stop chargebacks before they start

As you know, chargebacks are costly, frustrating, but most importantly, preventable. Our research shows that most chargebacks don’t stem from fraud, but from poor communication, slow response times, and customer uncertainty.

By prioritizing fast, AI-driven customer support and automated chargeback management, merchants can resolve issues before they escalate, improve customer experience, and protect their revenue. 

With Gorgias handling proactive customer support and Chargeflow managing chargeback disputes, merchants get a powerful, end-to-end prevention system that ensures fewer chargebacks, higher dispute win rates, and, at the end of the day, happier customers. 

Don’t let chargebacks drain your revenue. Take control today with faster, smarter automation.

Download Chargeflow’s full Psychology of Chargebacks Report to dive deeper into the data and start preventing disputes before they happen.

TL;DR:

• Gorgias eliminated helpdesk outages by implementing multiple database connection pools with PgBouncer, achieving over 99.99% uptime.
• We accelerated data retrieval by organizing 40TB of data into 128 partitions, reducing query times to less than 4ms.
• Our streamlined incident response process with dedicated Slack channels and clear roles now resolves almost all incidents in under an hour.
• Looking ahead, we're strengthening security, doubling our SRE team, implementing production readiness reviews, and enhancing monitoring tools.

When customer service teams are at their busiest, they need a helpdesk that keeps up. That’s exactly why our Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team has been working behind the scenes to make the Gorgias platform faster than ever.

Over the past year, we've made remarkable improvements to our platform to eliminate bottlenecks, speed up data retrieval, and reduce incidents. For you, this means fewer disruptions, faster load times, and a more reliable helpdesk experience.

Here's how we did it.

Eliminating helpdesk outages by increasing our connection pools

The challenge

Our platform relied on a single, shared database connection pool to manage all queries. Think of it as having just one pipe handling all the water flowing through your house — when too much water rushes in at once, the whole system backs up.

In practice, this meant a single surge in database requests could clog the entire system. When lower-priority background tasks got stuck, they could prevent high-priority operations (like loading tickets or running automations) from working properly. This would cause the entire helpdesk to slow down or, worse, become completely unresponsive.

The solution

Using PgBouncer, a tool that manages database connections and reduces the load on a server, we implemented multiple connection pools. Instead of relying on a single pipeline to stream all requests, we created separate "pipes" for different requests.

Like how road traffic picks up again after an exit, routing our database traffic into separate connection pools makes sure high-priority customer interactions don’t lag behind automated background tasks.

This solution is future-proof. In the event that a lower-priority task is delayed in one connection pool, other functionalities of the helpdesk will continue working because of the remaining connection pools.

The benefits

The results speak for themselves:

• Complete elimination of helpdesk-wide outages caused by connection pooling issues
• Faster response times — 99% of automated rules tasks take less than 800 milliseconds to complete from inception
• Partial degradation instead of full outages if issues do occur — at worst, only a single feature might be affected instead of your entire helpdesk

We've eliminated incidents caused by connection pool issues in the helpdesk completely. This reduced major helpdesk outage incidents by around four per year and maintained an average uptime of over 99.99%.

Speeding up the helpdesk by organizing 40TB of data into 128 partitions

The challenge

As Gorgias grew to over 15,000 customers, so did the volume of data. We’re talking data from tickets, integrations, automations, and many more. The combination of more users and data meant slower searches within the helpdesk. 

However, the amount of data was not the problem — it was how our data was organized. 

Imagine this: An enormous storage room full of file cabinets containing every piece of data. Sure, those file cabinets kept data organized, but you would still need to spend time searching through the entire room, running up and down aisles of cabinets, to find your desired file. This method was cumbersome. 

We needed a more efficient way to keep our data easy to find, especially as more customers used our platform.

The solution

The answer was database partitioning — breaking our large datasets into smaller, more manageable segments. Using Debezium, Kafka, and Kafka-connect JDBC, all managed by Terraform, we migrated over 40TB of data, including 3.5 billion tickets, without a moment of downtime for our merchants.

Instead of a giant room with thousands of file cabinets, we divided that giant room into 128 smaller rooms. So now, instead of looking for a file in one room, you know you just need to go into room number 102, which has a much smaller area to search.

This approach allows our system to quickly pinpoint the location of data, significantly reducing the time it takes to find and deliver information to users. 

Additionally, database maintenance has become more efficient. Some of the partitions can probably sit without needing to be changed at all. We just have to maintain the partitions that are getting new files, which cuts down on maintenance time.

The benefits

Better database partitioning provides several benefits:

• Faster queries — We have an average of 600 lookups or updates per second across these databases, each taking less than 4ms
• More efficient database maintenance — We halved the number of automated maintenance runs and cut each run’s duration in half
• Better scalability as our infrastructure is now equipped to handle continued customer growth

Faster resolutions with a streamlined incident response process

The challenge

When incidents occurred in the past, our response process was inconsistent, leading to delays in resolution. It was sometimes unclear who should take the lead, what immediate actions were required, and how to effectively communicate with affected customers.

Additionally, post-incident reviews varied in quality, making it difficult to prevent similar issues from happening again. We needed a standardized framework to address incidents in a timely fashion.

The solution

To streamline incident management, we introduced a replicable, automated process:

1. Dedicated Slack channels — Every incident gets its own Slack channel, ensuring our team is immediately notified.
2. Clear roles & responsibilities — We defined specific roles so every engineer knows what next steps to take.
3. Retrospectives — After each incident, we conduct thorough post-mortems to analyze root causes, identify improvements, and share learnings across teams.
4. Proactive prevention — By improving our monitoring tools, we catch potential issues earlier, reducing the likelihood of major disruptions.

The benefits

With our improved incident management process:

• Response times have decreased significantly — almost all incidents are mitigated in under an hour
• Customers receive clearer communication during incidents, including our regularly updated Gorgias Status page
• 100+ smarter preventative measures to reduce the overall incident frequency or permanently fix recurring problems

What's next: Four ways we're improving the platform experience

With more brands catching on to how essential a solid CX platform is, our team's got our work cut out for us. Here's what's on the way:

1. Enhanced security measures — We've hired a dedicated security engineer to strengthen our security infrastructure.
2. A bigger SRE team — Our Site Reliability Engineering team has doubled, allowing us to address performance issues rapidly.
3. Production readiness reviews — We're formalizing a process to audit new and existing services, ensuring they meet our reliability standards before deployment.
4. Improved monitoring — We're investing in better monitoring tools to detect and resolve potential issues before they impact customers.

Count on a reliable future with Gorgias

Gorgias will inevitably face new challenges in performance — no system is completely immune to downtime.

But we've built our architecture with the future in mind, and it’s more resilient than ever as more and more brands realize the power of conversational AI CX platforms. 

The result? A platform you can count on to help you deliver exceptional customer service, without technical issues getting in the way.

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TL;DR:

• Use AI across both support and sales. Ecommerce brands are using AI to drive revenue and efficiency by combining automation in chat, email, and customer data with personalized product guidance and upsells.
• Analyze post-purchase surveys with AI to uncover customer insights. AI quickly identifies themes, sentiment, and trends from open-ended feedback to inform product, shipping, and support decisions.
• Predict customer intent with AI before they take action. By analyzing behavior like cart activity or page views, AI can engage high-intent shoppers with personalized nudges in real time.
• Automate QA and proactive support with AI. AI reviews 100% of conversations, flags quality issues, and triggers outreach for known problems — all before customers even ask.

Shoppers aren’t just open to AI — they’re starting to expect it.

According to IBM, 3 in 5 consumers want to use AI as they shop. And a McKinsey study found that 71% expect personalized experiences from the brands they buy from. When they don’t get that? Two-thirds say they’re frustrated.

But while most brands associate AI with support automation, its real power lies in something bigger: scaling personalization across the entire customer journey. 

We’ll show you how to do that in this article.

AI for customer data 

Before AI can personalize emails, recommend products, or answer support tickets, it needs one thing: good data.

That’s why one of the best places to start using AI isn’t in sales or support — but in enriching your customer data. With a deeper understanding of who your customers are, what they want, and how they behave, AI becomes a personalization engine across your entire business.

Enriching surveys with AI

Post-purchase surveys are gold mines for understanding customers — but digging through the data manually? Not so fun.

AI can help by analyzing survey responses at scale, identifying trends, and categorizing open-ended customer feedback into clear, actionable insights. Instead of skimming thousands of answers to spot what customers are saying about your shipping times, AI can surface those insights instantly — along with sentiment and behavior signals you might’ve missed.

Try this prompt when doing this: "Analyze 500 open-ended post-purchase survey responses. Identify the top 5 recurring themes, categorize customer sentiment (positive, neutral, negative), and surface any trends related to product quality, delivery experience, or customer support."

Predicting customer intent before they even say a word

One of AI’s biggest strengths? Spotting intent.

By analyzing things like page views, cart activity, scroll behavior, and previous purchases, AI can identify which shoppers are ready to buy, which ones are likely to churn, and which just need a little nudge to move forward.

This doesn’t just apply to email and retargeting. It also works on live chat, in real time.

Take TUSHY, for example.

To eliminate friction in the buying journey, TUSHY introduced Shopping Assistant — a virtual assistant designed to guide shoppers toward the right product before they drop off. 

Instead of letting potential customers bounce with unanswered questions, the AI Agent steps in to offer:

• Personalized product recommendations based on shopper questions
• Compatibility guidance (especially for customers unsure which bidet works with their toilet)
• Real-time installation tips and links to helpful how-to articles

With a growing product catalog, TUSHY realized first-time buyers were overwhelmed with options — and needed help choosing what would work best for their home and hygiene preferences.

“What amazed us most is that the AI Agent doesn’t just help customers choose the perfect bidet for their booty — it also provides measurement and fit guidance, high-level installation support, and even recommends all the necessary spare parts for skirted toilet installations. It’s ushering in a new era of customer service — one that’s immediate, informative, and confidence-boosting as people rethink their bathroom habits.”

—Ren Fuller-Wasserman, Sr. Director of Customer Experience at TUSHY

Forecasting revenue by segment

AI also helps you see the road ahead.

Instead of looking at retention and loyalty metrics in isolation, AI can help you forecast what’s likely to happen next and where to focus your attention.

By segmenting customers based on behaviors like average order value, order frequency, and churn risk, AI can identify revenue opportunities and weak spots before they impact your bottom line.

All you need is the right prompt. Here’s an example you can run using your own data in any AI tool:

Prompt: “Analyze my customer data to forecast revenue by segment. Break customers into at least three groups based on behavior patterns like average order value, purchase frequency, and churn risk. 

For each segment, provide:

1. A projected revenue trend for the next quarter
2. A key insight about their behavior
3. One actionable recommendation to either grow or retain revenue from that segment.”

Here’s what a result might look like:

• VIPs (Top 5% by LTV): Predicted 15% growth next quarter based on repeat behavior
• One-time Buyers: 70% churn risk flagged—time to trigger a win-back campaign
• Discount-Only Shoppers: Revenue likely to dip unless incentive strategy changes

Instead of flying blind, you’re making decisions with clarity — and backing them with data that scales.

AI for sales 

When used strategically, AI becomes a proactive sales agent that can identify opportunities in real-time: recommending the right product to the right shopper at the right moment.

Here’s how ecommerce brands are using AI to drive revenue across every part of the funnel.

Dynamic pricing that responds to the market (and the shopper)

Your prices shouldn’t be static — especially when your competitors, inventory, and customer behavior are anything but.

AI-powered tools like Shopping Assistant help brands automatically adjust pricing based on shopper behavior. The goal is to make the right offer to the right customer.

For example:

• Show a discount to a price-sensitive shopper who’s hesitating at checkout
• Recommend premium add-ons to high-LTV customers who are more likely to spend

With dynamic pricing, you can protect your margins and boost conversions — without relying on blanket sales.

Turning chat into a personal shopper (that never sleeps)

AI-powered chat is no longer just a glorified FAQ. Today, it can act as a real-time shopping assistant — guiding customers, boosting conversions, and helping your team reclaim time.

That’s exactly what Pepper did with “Penelope,” their AI Agent built on Gorgias.

With a rapidly growing product catalog (22 new SKUs in 2024 alone), Pepper knew shoppers needed help discovering the right products. Customers often had questions about styles, materials, or sizing, and if they didn’t get answers right away, they’d abandon carts and move on.

Instead of hiring more agents to keep up, Pepper deployed Penelope to live chat and email.

Her job?

• Instantly answer questions about fit, fabric, or product differences
• Guide shoppers toward the best option for their needs
• Recommend complementary products (like matching panties or bottoms)
• Free up agents to focus on higher-value 1:1 moments, like virtual fit sessions

“With AI Agent, we’re not just putting information in our customer’s hands; we’re putting bras in their hands... We’re turning customer support from a cost center to a revenue generator.”
—Gabrielle McWhirter, CX Operations Lead at Pepper

Let’s look at how Penelope performs on the floor:

Real-time recommendations

A shopper asked about the difference between two wire-free bras. Penelope broke down the styles, support level, and fabric in plain language — then followed up with personalized suggestions based on the shopper’s preferences.

Proactive engagement

Using Gorgias Convert chat campaigns, Pepper triggers targeted messages to shoppers based on behavior. If someone is browsing white bras? Penelope jumps in and offers assistance, often leading to faster decisions and fewer abandoned carts.

Intelligent upsells

If a customer adds a swimsuit top to their cart, Penelope suggests matching bottoms. No full-screen popups, no awkward sales scripts — just thoughtful, helpful guidance.

Support and sales in one

Penelope also handles WISMO tickets and return inquiries. If a shopper is dealing with a sizing issue, Penelope walks them through the return process and links to Pepper’s Fit Guide to make sure the next purchase is spot on.

By implementing AI into chat, Pepper saw a 19% conversion rate from AI-assisted chats, an 18% uplift in AOV, and a 92.1% decrease in resolution time.

With Penelope handling repetitive and revenue-driving tasks, Pepper’s team now has more time to offer truly personalized touches — like virtual fit sessions that have turned refunds into exchanges and even upsells.

Curating bundles with AI-powered sales data

Bundling is a proven tactic for increasing AOV — but most brands still rely on subjective judgment calls or static reports to decide which products to group.

AI can take this a step further.

Instead of just looking at what’s bought together in the same cart, AI can analyze purchase sequences. For example, what people tend to buy as a follow-up 30 days after their first order. This gives you powerful clues into natural buying behavior and bundling opportunities you might’ve missed.

If you’re looking to explore this at scale, you can use anonymized sales data and feed it into AI tools to surface patterns in:

• Frequently bundled items
• Follow-up purchases within a set time frame
• High-value product pairings with repeat potential

Try this prompt:

 "Analyze this spreadsheet of order data and identify product bundle opportunities. Look for: (1) products frequently purchased together in the same order, (2) items commonly bought as a second purchase within 30 days of the first, and (3) patterns in high-value or high-frequency product pairings. Provide insights on the most promising bundles and why they might work well together."

Just make sure you’re keeping customer data anonymous — and always double-check the insights with your team.

Related: Ecommerce product categorization: How to organize your products

AI for support

AI isn’t just here to deflect tickets. From quality assurance to proactive outreach, AI can elevate the entire support experience — on both sides of the conversation.

Quality checks powered by AI

Manual QA is slow, selective, and often feels like it’s chasing the wrong tickets.

That’s where Auto QA comes in. Instead of reviewing just a handful of conversations each week, Auto QA evaluates 100% of private messages, whether they’re handled by a human or an AI agent.

Every message is scored on key metrics like:

• Resolution completeness
• Brand voice
• Empathy and tone
• Accuracy

It gives support leaders a full picture of how their team is performing, so they can coach with clarity, not just gut feeling.

Here’s what brands can do with automated QA:

• Save time by focusing only on the conversations that need attention
• Ensure consistency across agents and AI with a single scoring standard
• Improve agent performance with targeted coaching and feedback
• Deliver higher-quality support that customers actually notice

Let’s walk through a real example.

Customer: “Hi, my device broke, and I bought it less than a month ago.”

Agent: “Hi Kelly, please send us a photo or a video so we can determine the issue with your device.”

Auto QA flags this interaction with:

• Communication Score: 3/5 — The agent was clear, but could have shown more empathy in tone.
• Resolution Score: Complete — The issue was addressed effectively.

Proactive support that reaches out first

Reactive support is table stakes. AI takes it a step further by anticipating issues before they happen — and proactively helping customers.

Let’s say login errors spike after a product update. AI detects the surge and automatically triggers an email to affected customers with a simple fix. No need for them to dig through help docs or wait on chat — support meets them right where they are.

Proactive AI can also be used for:

• Order delay notifications with live tracking updates
• Subscription renewal reminders
• Back-in-stock alerts with support follow-up for next steps

This saves the time of your agents because the AI will spot problems before they turn into tickets.

Understanding sentiment at scale

Your customers are telling you what they think. AI just helps you hear it more clearly.

By analyzing reviews, support tickets, post-purchase surveys, and social comments, AI can spot sentiment trends that might otherwise fly under the radar.

For example:

• Multiple reviews mention “runs small”? AI flags it, so your team can update the product description or add a sizing chart.
• A sudden rise in “frustrated” language in support tickets? Time to check if something’s off with your shipping or product quality.

Related: 12 ways to upgrade your data and trend analysis with Ticket Fields 

Personalization at scale starts with the right AI stack

Whether you’re enriching customer data, making smarter product recommendations, triggering dynamic pricing, or proactively resolving support issues, AI gives your team the power to scale personalization without sacrificing quality.

With Gorgias, you can bring many of these use cases to life — from AI-powered chat that drives conversions to automated support that still feels human. 

And with our app store, you can tap into additional AI tools for data enrichment, direct mail, bundling insights, and more.

Personalized ecommerce doesn’t have to mean more work. With the right AI tools in your corner, it means smarter work — and better results.

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