Automate BigCommerce customer support without losing the human touch

A customer lands on your BigCommerce store at 11 p.m. They have a quick question about sizing. No one is online. They leave. That sale is gone.

During the day, your team answers the same five questions over and over — shipping times, return policies, order tracking. The volume eats hours. Your best people spend their day on repetitive tasks instead of helping customers who really need a human. You know you need to automate, but you do not want a bot that sounds robotic or gives wrong answers. You want something that feels like part of your team.

Chatref gives you an AI agent that answers those questions instantly, trained on your own store content. It works right on your BigCommerce site. A real person can jump into any live chat when needed. You pay only for what you use, with simple prepaid credits and no per-seat fees.

Train an AI agent on your BigCommerce store

Most support automation tools give generic answers. They do not know your products, your policies, or your brand voice. Chatref learns your business from the ground up.

You point the agent to your BigCommerce site, upload your help docs, or add a few files. It reads everything — product descriptions, shipping pages, returns policies, FAQs. Then it answers customer questions using only that information. No guessing. No made-up replies.

Your AI agent answers from your own store content, so customers get accurate information — not guesses.

You can shape the tone too. Make it friendly and casual, or polished and professional. The agent matches how you already talk to customers. That consistency builds trust, even when a human is not typing.

Answer order questions instantly, day or night

Customers expect fast replies. A late-night question about an order status should not wait until morning. Chatref handles those moments automatically.

When someone asks “Where is my order?” the agent can pull the relevant information from your shipping policy and guide them to the tracking page. If they ask about returns, it explains the process clearly. It works in 11 languages, so you help customers wherever they are.

Your team wakes up to fewer tickets. The repetitive questions are already resolved. That frees everyone to focus on trickier issues, like a damaged shipment or a complex B2B order.

Let your team step in when it matters

Automation should not lock you out. Some conversations need a human touch — a frustrated customer, a sensitive complaint, or a sales opportunity that needs a personal nudge.

Chatref includes a shared inbox. You watch chats live. At any moment, you can take over a conversation from the AI agent. The customer sees no break. The full chat history is right there, so you never ask them to repeat themselves.

This blend of automation and human oversight gives you speed without losing empathy. Your team stays in control. The AI handles the routine, and you handle the exceptions.

One inbox for web, email, and WhatsApp

Your BigCommerce store is one channel, but customers reach out in many ways. They might email about a wholesale order, message on WhatsApp about a delivery, or ask a question on your site. Juggling separate tools creates gaps.

Chatref brings all those conversations into one place. The same AI agent answers across your website, Slack, email, and WhatsApp. Your team sees every message in a single shared inbox. Nothing slips through.

This omnichannel setup means a customer gets the same accurate answer whether they chat on your site or send a WhatsApp message. Your brand voice stays consistent everywhere.

Capture leads from every chat automatically

Not every chat is a support question. Some visitors are ready to buy but want a quick confirmation first. Others ask about bulk pricing or custom orders. Those are leads you cannot afford to lose.

Chatref captures contact details from conversations automatically. When a visitor asks a sales-related question, the agent can collect their name and email. That information lands in your inbox as a new contact. You can follow up later, even if the chat happened while you were away.

No forms to build. No extra steps for the customer. Just natural conversation that turns into a lead.

Pay only for the chats you use

Traditional support tools charge per seat. Every team member adds to the bill, even if they only answer a few chats a month. That model punishes growing teams.

Chatref uses prepaid credits. You buy a block of credits and use them as chats come in. No per-seat fees. No monthly minimums. If your volume is low one month, your credits simply last longer. If you have a busy season, you top up when needed.

This pay-as-you-go approach keeps costs predictable. You scale support up or down without renegotiating a contract.

Go live in minutes with one snippet

BigCommerce makes it easy to add custom code. Chatref gives you a single snippet. Paste it into your site’s footer, and the chat widget appears. No developer needed.

You can customize the widget to match your brand — colors, logo, greeting message. It looks like a natural part of your store, not a bolt-on tool.

The agent starts learning your content as soon as you connect your site. Within minutes, it is ready to answer questions. You do not wait days for setup or training.

See what customers ask and improve

Support conversations hold a goldmine of insight. What do people ask most? Where do they get confused? Which products generate the most questions?

Chatref shows you these patterns. Conversation tags automatically label chats by topic — shipping, returns, sizing, pricing. You can filter and see trends over time. If a product page causes repeated questions, you know to update it.

These insights help you improve your store, not just your support. Fewer questions mean a smoother buying experience and higher conversion.

Key takeaways

• An AI agent trained on your BigCommerce store content answers repetitive questions instantly, day or night.
• Your team can watch chats live and take over any conversation with full context, keeping the human touch.
• One shared inbox handles web, email, Slack, and WhatsApp messages so nothing falls through the cracks.
• Leads are captured automatically from chats, turning casual questions into follow-up opportunities.
• Pay-as-you-go prepaid credits with no per-seat fees keep costs aligned with your actual support volume.

Frequently asked questions

Does this replace my support team? No. It handles the repetitive, high-volume questions so your team can focus on complex issues and personal interactions. You stay in control and can step into any chat at any time.

How does the AI learn about my BigCommerce products? You give it access to your website, help documents, or uploaded files. It reads your product pages, policies, and FAQs. Then it answers using only that information, in your brand’s voice.

Can I still answer chats myself? Yes. The shared inbox lets you see every live chat. With one click, you take over from the AI agent. The customer experiences a seamless handoff.

What if the AI gives a wrong answer? Because the agent is trained on your own content, answers stay factual. You can review conversations and update your knowledge base anytime. If a question falls outside what it knows, it can flag a human for help.

How much does it cost? Chatref uses prepaid credits. You pay only for the chats you use, with no per-seat fees. You can start free and add credits as your volume grows.

Try it free on your BigCommerce store. See how many hours you get back each week. Start free.