1. First response time (FRT)
How long a customer waits for your first real reply (auto replies do not count). The single biggest driver of how customers feel about your service, and of whether a pre-sale question becomes a sale.
Customer service metrics for online stores: the 7 that matter
The customer service metrics that matter most for an online store are first response time, response rate, resolution time, contact rate, customer satisfaction (CSAT), repeat contacts and sales from conversations. Together they tell you whether customers get fast, complete answers and whether your replies are winning sales. You do not need a big help desk to track them: a weekly check of one channel at a time is enough to start. Below is what each metric means, how to measure it simply and what to aim for.
Updated 18 October 2026
The 7 customer service metrics that matter
2. Response rate
The share of messages that get a reply at all. For shops, missed comments under ads are the usual gap: every unanswered buying question is a possible lost sale.
3. Resolution time
How long from the first message until the problem is fully solved, not just answered. Long resolution times usually point to slow refunds, courier claims or back-and-forth for missing details.
4. Contact rate
Support messages divided by orders. If it climbs, something on your site is unclear: shipping times, sizing, tracking or returns.
5. Customer satisfaction (CSAT)
A one-question rating after a conversation, such as 'How did we do?' on a 1 to 5 scale. Read the comments, not just the score.
6. Repeat contacts
How often the same customer has to get in touch again about the same problem. High numbers mean answers are incomplete or promises are not kept.
7. Sales from conversations
Orders that follow a reply to a pre-sale question: price, stock, sizing or shipping. This turns customer service from a cost into a sales channel.
How to measure them without a help desk
- Pick one week and one channel to start, for example comments under your ads.
- For each message, note when it arrived, when you first replied, whether it was a buying question, a complaint or a 'where is my order?', and whether it ended in a sale.
- Count orders for the same week from Shopify so you can work out contact rate.
- Work out your average first response time, response rate and contact rate. A simple spreadsheet is fine.
- Repeat for DMs and email, then check again monthly. Look at the trend, not one week.
Sensible targets for a small online store
- Comments under ads and posts: within an hour during business hours. Buying questions go cold fast.
- Instagram and Facebook DMs: the same business day, and always within 24 hours of the customer's last message.
- Email: within one business day.
- Response rate: answer every question and complaint; compliments are a bonus.
- Contact rate: falling over time as your FAQ, shipping and returns pages get clearer.
- These are starting points, not industry averages. Your own trend matters more than anyone else's number.
How to improve the numbers
- Answer the top five questions on product pages, your FAQ and your auto replies, so fewer people need to ask.
- Send tracking proactively and warn customers about delays to cut 'where is my order?' messages.
- Answer buying questions first and complaints second, then everything else.
- Keep comments, DMs and email in one place so nothing is missed.
- Use templates for common answers, then personalise them.
How Paperflower helps
Most slow response times come from messages being spread across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and email, and from comments under ads that nobody sees. Paperflower puts every comment, DM and support email in one list, puts buying questions first and shows what still needs a reply, so response rate goes up and first response time comes down. Each reply is drafted from your brand knowledge and the customer's Shopify order, ready for you to check and send. See our guides to WISMO, handling complaints and FAQ pages.
How Paperflower is different
Comments are a sales channel, not a chore
Most tools treat comments as noise. Paperflower reads every one, spots buying questions like “do you ship to NZ?” and makes sure they get answered before the customer moves on.
Buying Intent and Opportunity Score
Every conversation gets a score so the people ready to buy come first. You see who to reply to now, and who can wait.
Shopify context in every draft
Order status, shipping and product details are pulled in automatically, so drafts are right the first time and private order details never go out in public.
You stay in control
AI drafts are on and auto-send is off by default. Complaints are escalated to you. Refunds and cancellations always need a human.
Simple pricing
Paperflower starts free with 100 customer interactions a month, no card needed: every message in one list, and you write the replies. AI sorting, reply drafts and spam hiding come with Standard, which is A$47 a month for 3,000 customer interactions, with a 7-day free trial. Human replies are always free. See all plans.
Built for AU and NZ brands
Local time zones, local shipping questions, and support from people who know the market.
Frequently asked questions
For an online store: first response time, response rate, resolution time, contact rate, customer satisfaction, repeat contacts and sales from conversations. Start with first response time and response rate.
The time between a customer's message and your first real reply, not counting auto replies. It is the metric customers notice most.
For a small online store, aim for under an hour on comments under ads during business hours, the same day for DMs and within one business day for email.
Divide the number of support conversations by the number of orders for the same period. For example, 120 conversations and 600 orders is a 20% contact rate.
Not unless you turn that on. By default it drafts a reply and you approve it. You can switch on auto-send for simple, safe questions once you trust the drafts.
Instagram, Facebook and TikTok comments and DMs, support email through Gmail or Google Workspace, and Shopify for order details.
Yes. The Free plan is the basics: 100 customer interactions a month in one list, no card needed, and you write each reply. Standard adds AI sorting, reply drafts and spam hiding, and comes with a 7-day free trial. You can cancel any time. Compare plans.
Start Paperflower free
Connect Instagram, Facebook, email and Shopify in a few minutes. On Standard, AI sorts every message and drafts every reply, you stay in control, and nothing is sent without your say-so unless you switch that on. Free puts every message in one list for you to answer.