1. What is Average Response Time?

• Average Response Time measures the average time it takes sellers to respond to all messages from buyers.

2. Why Response Time is important

• A fast response has a direct impact on sales, repeat purchases, and brand reputation and return/refund rate. Here’s why it matters:

2.1 Boosts Order Conversion Rate & Sales

• Buyers who receive quick answers to their inquiries are more likely to complete their purchases.
• Sellers with a faster response saw significantly higher order conversion rates compared to those with slower responses.

2.2 Increases Customer Satisfaction & Repeat Purchases

• Fast response leaves a strong positive impression and increases customer satisfaction, making buyers more likely to return.
• Sellers with a faster response saw a high Buyer Satisfaction Rate and repeat purchases compared to those with slower responses.

2.3 Reduces Buyer Complaints & Improves Store Reputation

• Quick replies help prevent frustration, reducing the number of buyer complaints and negative reviews and helps sellers maintain a strong store rating and unlock platform benefits.

2.4 Reduces Returns or Refunds

• Buyers who get timely and clear product information are more confident in their purchase, reducing the likelihood of returns or refund requests.

💡 Simply put: Happier buyers = More sales, more loyal customers, and a stronger business.

3. How to improve Average Response Time

3.1 Focus on performance

3.1.1 Respond to chat messages (Ideally Within 2 Hours)

• Timely responses show buyers that their concerns matter and build their confidence, which directly improves conversion rates.
• Sellers who reply within 2 hours also saw a significant increase in 33% buyer satisfaction as compared to sellers who reply within 24 hours.
• They also experience a significant increase in order conversion rates

💡 Pro Tip: Remember, every interaction counts. Buyers expect a reply within 2 hours and prefer a smooth, continuous conversation once they engage.

3.1.2 Understand Which Chat Messages Require a Response

• Not all buyer messages contain direct questions, but they still require a response to keep the conversation active and improve response time.
• Messages that require a reply include:
  • Product cards: Buyers might have questions about the product before purchasing.
  • Order cards: Buyers may need help with order status or modifications.
  • Text messages: Direct questions or general inquiries.
  • Photos, emojis, or stickers: These could indicate interest or a concern that needs clarification.
• Be proactive! If a buyer sends one of these message types without additional context, respond by asking a clarifying question like:
  • "Do you need help with this order?"
  • "Are you interested in this product? Let me know if you have any questions!"
• By responding quickly and engaging buyers, you increase the chances of conversion and improve your overall response time.

3.1.3 Motivate Your Team with Performance-Based Incentives

• Customer service teams perform better when they are motivated and recognized for delivering excellent service.
• Sellers who include targets as part of performance incentives see higher engagement and improved service quality.
• Consider rewarding agents who:
  • Respond quickly and effectively to inquiries
  • While consistently maintaining high buyer satisfaction ratings

💡 When agents feel valued, they provide better service—which directly benefits your business.

3.2 Use smart tools to respond more efficiently

TikTok Shop developed multiple smart tools to help you manage the conversation volume and response faster and more effectively

3.2.1 Enable greeting message

• First impression counts. This is why we have enabled chat greetings for you. You can customize it on greeting and order replies page
• If you have disabled it, toggle the icon to enable it
• Go to Seller center > customer message > automation > Greetings and order replies

Toggle to icon to enable and/or click the pencil icon to edit the greeting message

3.2.2 Enable FAQ and automated order replies

What is FAQ and automated order replies?

• The FAQs consist of a series of questions that customers often ask customer service and the answers to those questions.
• FAQ allows buyers to get instant answers to frequently asked questions and minimize the need for manual replies. This makes your agents manage the workload better and respond faster
• We also provide pre-set FAQs and responses (automated order replies) to make responding easier and cover key topics such as Pre-Sales, Logistics and After-Sales

How to setup FAQ and automated order replies?

• The FAQ is turned on by default, allowing buyers to get instant answers to frequently asked questions, reducing the need for manual replies.
• The list of FAQ can be configured in two ways:
  • Auto-Select FAQ (AI-Driven Responses): When a buyer starts a chat, TTS automatically detects the page they entered from and selects the most relevant FAQ response.
  • If you have disabled it, toggle the icon to enable it by going to Seller center > customer message > automation > Greetings and order replies

3.2.3 Enable Chatbot

• TTS offers a chatbot feature to help sellers respond to buyers instantly by scanning buyer messages. The chatbot automatically selects a relevant response from the FAQ library, ensuring faster replies and reduced workload for customer service teams.

• There are two modes to suit different response needs:
  • Small-Talk Mode: (Default Setting)
    • It responds only to simple, non-product-related inquiries (e.g., greetings or basic store questions).
    • If the chatbot cannot answer a message, it will transfer the chat to a human agent.
  • All messages Mode (Recommended)
    • It is not turned on by default. Sellers must manually activate it.
    • Responds to all buyer messages, including product-related inquiries.

💡 Best Practice: If your chatbot frequently transfers buyers to agents, consider enabling Full-Content Mode to provide more automated responses.

How to Enable the Chatbot

• Go to Seller center > customer message > automation > Chatbot and toggle on the icon
• Choose the mode you prefer
  • Small-Talk Mode (Default Setting)
  • All messages Mode (Recommended)
• Choose when the chatbot should be active:
  • Activate All Day
  • Activate Off-Work Only

3.2.4 Enable Reply recommendation

• The Reply Recommendations feature helps sellers respond faster and more accurately by suggesting pre-set FAQ answers from the FAQ library.
• This allows agents to respond faster by reducing typing time and ensuring consistency and accuracy in responses.

How It Works:

• Smart Match Answer: The system automatically suggests answers based on keywords in the buyer’s message or keywords entered by the customer service agent
• One-Click Reply: If a recommended answer is accurate, the agent can simply click "Send" to reply instantly.
• Adjust Responses When Needed: If the suggested response needs modification, the agent can edit the response before sending it

How to Enable Reply Recommendations

• Go to Seller center > customer message > automation > Reply Recommendations and toggle on the icon

• When a buyer message is received, suggested replies will appear based on FAQ matches.
• Choose to:
  • Send the answer immediately with one click.
  • Edit and customize the response before sending.

💡 For an even faster experience, sellers can enable "Allow Automatic Sending," which lets the system send matched responses without manual approval.

3.2.5 Enable Saved reply

• Saved replies allow sellers to send pre-written responses to frequently asked questions, ensuring faster replies and more consistent and accurate communication.

How to Enable Saved reply

• Go to Seller center > customer message > automation > Saved Reply and toggle on the icon
• Create Reply Groups: Organize responses into categories like Shipping, Refunds, Logistics, or Promotions for easy access.
• Create a Saved Reply Template: Select a group and click "Create New Reply Message". Up to 20 templates per group can be created.
• Access saved reply by clicking the saved reply icon, search by keyword, and select a response to use shortcuts

3.2.6 Enable Proactive messages

• The Proactive Messages feature allows sellers to send automated shipping, delivery and delayed updates to buyers, reducing incoming repetitive customer inquiries and help agents respond faster
• Once enabled, buyers will automatically receive messages when their order status updates. Below is an example of a shipping update message.

How to Enable Proactive Messages

• Go to Seller center > customer message > automation > Proactive Messages and toggle on the icon and message type you want to activate.

3.3 Ensure you are notified

3.3.1 Enable Message Notifications and Avoid Missing a Buyer Inquiry

• Buyers expect quick replies, but if you’re not notified, you might miss valuable sales opportunities.
• Turn on message notifications in the Chat Tool to receive alerts the moment a customer messages you.
• How to Enable Notifications:
  • PC: Settings > Personal Settings > Personal Information > Message Notifications
  • Mobile App (Seller App): Settings > Push Notification > Chat Notifications

💡 Pro Tip: Notifications help you stay on top of messages so you can respond promptly and professionally.

3.4 Ensure Sessions Are Promptly Assigned to Agents

3.4.1 Promptly Close Sessions which have Ended

• Closing chat sessions efficiently improves the buyer experience and encourages valuable feedback.
• Confirm resolution: Before ending the chat, check with the buyer to ensure all concerns have been addressed.
• Encourage feedback: Let the buyer know you’ll be closing the chat and invite them to share their experience.
• Close promptly: Once confirmed, close the session to trigger the feedback survey.

💡 Pro Tip: A smooth chat closure leaves a positive final impression and increases the likelihood of high buyer satisfaction ratings.

3.4.2 Keep an eye on the number of people in queue

• The number of buyers in the queue is displayed at the top of your session list.
• Check it regularly and aim to keep the queue at zero during working hours.

💡 Fewer waiting buyers = More completed sales and better satisfaction ratings.

3.4.3 Adjust Maximum Session Capacity for Agents

• If your agents are reaching their session limit too quickly, increase the maximum number of sessions they can handle at once.
• We recommend setting this value to at least 200 based on shop needs.
  • To adjust: Go to Chat Tool > Settings > Personal Settings > Personal Information > Maximum Session Capacity

💡 Higher capacity = More sessions handled efficiently, fewer buyers left waiting.

3.4.4 Schedule shifts effectively

• A well-planned schedule ensures agents are available and response times remain quick.
• Key best practices:
  • Avoid let all agents go on break or offline at the same time—always have at least one agent online
  • If agents are at 100% capacity, either:
    • Increase their individual session limit, or
    • Call additional agents back online to handle the demand.

💡 A balanced shift schedule keeps response times low and buyer satisfaction high.Final Takeaway: Faster Responses Lead to More Sales & Happier Buyers

• Fast response time is key to improving buyer satisfaction, store reputation, and overall sales performance. By optimizing your customer service strategy with smart tools and best practices, you can reduce response times, handle inquiries more efficiently, and build stronger relationships with buyers.
• Prioritize quick responses – Aim to reply within 2 hours to boost conversion rates and buyer satisfaction.
• Motivate your team – Recognize and reward fast, high-quality service to improve engagement.
• Leverage smart tools – Use FAQs, chatbots, reply recommendations, saved replies, and proactive messages to automate and speed up responses.
• Stay notified & organized – Enable message notifications to avoid missing buyer inquiries and allocate sessions efficiently to prevent delays.
• Optimize team scheduling – Keep agents available during peak hours and adjust session capacity to handle more buyers at once.

💡 By combining fast response times, automation, and structured workflows, sellers can improve buyer experience, increase repeat purchases, and maximize sales success. Start implementing these strategies today! 🚀