A post goes up, and the questions pour in
You post a photo of new jugs on Instagram on Friday. By Saturday lunchtime, there are messages asking whether you have the blue one, whether they can be posted, whether one can be put aside until Monday and what the price is. Someone phones about the same jug. An email asks about a different item from a post last month.
Staff reply between customers, checking the shelf each time. Two customers are promised the last blue jug.
Stock questions arrive everywhere, with no stock to hand
These questions are good news: they are from people who want to buy. But they arrive in several places, and answering each one means checking stock, which is on the till or the shelf, not in Instagram.
- Questions come by Instagram, Facebook, email and phone.
- Staff check the shelf or the till for each one.
- Holding items is agreed in a message and not recorded.
- The same item can be promised to two people.
- Replies are delayed until someone has a quiet moment.
What slow or muddled replies cost
A customer who asks and hears nothing for a day often buys elsewhere or loses interest. Promising the same item twice leads to an awkward message to one of them.
It also costs staff time and attention on the shop floor, which is where most of your sales happen.
How we build a stock question inbox
- Messages from Instagram and Facebook, where the business messaging access allows it, and from your shop email, arrive in one inbox.
- When a message mentions a product or links to a post, the likely item is suggested, with its current stock level from the till.
- Staff pick a quick reply, such as in stock with price, out of stock with alternatives, or can be held until a date, and edit it before sending.
- Holding an item reserves it on the till, so it cannot be promised twice, and the hold expires on the date given.
- Replies include a link to buy online or reserve for collection, where the item is on your website.
- Phone questions can be logged in the same place, so a hold agreed by phone is recorded like any other.
| Question | Before | With the inbox |
|---|---|---|
| Do you have it? | Check the shelf | Stock level shown |
| Can you hold it? | Promised in a message | Held on the till with an expiry |
| Can you post it? | Reply later with a price | Link to buy online |
| Phone enquiry | Not recorded | Logged in the same inbox |
Suggested items are a guess from the message and post, so staff always confirm the right product before replying.
Answering stock questions afterwards
Messages land in one place with the stock level shown. Most replies take seconds. Holds are recorded, so the blue jug is promised once. Customers who can buy online are given a link immediately, and those who want to come in know the item will be there.
At the end of the day, you can see what people asked about most, which is useful when reordering.
Holds that expire go back on sale automatically, and the customer gets a friendly note, so stock is not stuck behind the counter for someone who has changed their mind. When a post brings a flood of questions about one item, you see it quickly and can decide whether to reorder while interest is still high.
Staff on the shop floor stop breaking off to check shelves for someone who is not even in the shop, and customers who are in the shop get their attention back.
Signs you are drowning in stock questions
- Customers ask about stock through several channels.
- Staff check the shelf for every question.
- Holds are agreed in messages and not recorded.
- You have promised the same item to two people.
- Questions go unanswered for a day or more.