Twelve customer service scripts for WhatsApp: out of stock, late delivery, wrong price, refund request, and more

Customer service on WhatsApp is the same twelve situations in different clothes. Having a script for each keeps replies calm and consistent, whoever is typing, and tells you which ones an AI agent should handle and which it should pass to a person. Here they are.

By Ritchie, ReplyKit · Published 5 September 2026 · 6 min read

Quick answer

Keep a script for each recurring situation: out of stock, late delivery, wrong item, refund request, price complaint, discount request, no-show, double booking, rude message, request for a person, question you cannot answer, and a compliment. The agent handles the informational ones from your knowledge; complaints, refunds and rude messages go to a person with an apology and a handover line.

The twelve Which ones the agent handles FAQ

The twelve

1. Out of stock (agent): "The white M is sold out at the moment; we expect it back around 20 Sept. I can note your name and message you when it's in, or the beige is available now."

2. Late delivery (person): "I'm sorry, Aisha, #1042 should have arrived by now. Let me check with the courier and come back to you within the hour."

3. Wrong item (person): "I'm sorry about that. Send me a photo of what arrived and I'll arrange the right one; you won't need to return the wrong one first."

4. Refund request (person): "Understood. Our policy is [X]. Let me confirm the order and I'll process it today; you'll see it within [Y] days."

5. Price complaint (person): "I hear you. The price covers [what it includes]. If it's not the right fit, I'd rather you had the right option than the wrong one; here are the alternatives."

6. Discount request (agent): "Our prices are fixed so everyone gets the same deal. What I can do is [published offer, if any]. Shall I book you in?"

7. No-show (person, next day): "Hi Sarah, we missed you yesterday. No problem; would you like to rebook? Saturday 2pm or Sunday 11am."

8. Double booking, our fault (person): "I'm sorry, we made a mistake with your slot. I can offer Thursday 3pm or Saturday 11am, and the first treatment is on us."

9. Rude message (agent hands over): "I'm sorry you're frustrated. Let me get a team member to help you properly; they will reply here shortly."

10. Request for a person (agent): "Of course. Let me get a team member; they will reply here shortly."

11. Question we cannot answer (agent): "I'm not sure about that one. Let me check with the team and get back to you here."

12. Compliment (either): "Thank you, that means a lot to the team. If you have a minute, a short Google review helps others find us: [link]."

Which ones the agent handles

Informational and booking situations (1, 6, 10, 11, 12) are the agent's from your knowledge and instructions. Anything involving a mistake, money or emotion (2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9) is a handover: the agent apologises once and passes the chat. The no-show follow-up (7) is a person's judgement. Write the agent's lines into its instructions and the person's lines into a shared note for the team; ReplyKit hands complaints over by default, and the angry customer guide covers the human side.

Frequently asked questions

Should an AI agent handle refunds?

No. It apologises once and hands over. Refunds, mistakes and disputes need a person.

How should I respond to a discount request?

State that prices are fixed for everyone, mention any published offer, and move to the next step. The agent can do this.

What do I say to a rude customer?

Acknowledge the frustration, do not argue, hand to a person, and let the person acknowledge, ask one question and offer a fix.

Should the agent admit it does not know?

Yes. 'I'm not sure, let me check with the team' and a handover beats a guess.

Where do I keep these scripts?

Agent lines in its instructions; human lines in a shared note. Both in the same words so the tone is consistent.

Consistent answers, whoever is typing

The agent handles the routine; the team gets the rest with the transcript. 7-day free trial.

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Written by Ritchie, ReplyKitPart of the small team in Malaysia that builds and runs ReplyKit. Writes about WhatsApp automation, AI customer service and small business lead response.

How we know this. The situations below are the ones that show up in ReplyKit handover reasons and unanswered-question lists most often; the split between agent and person is how we recommend configuring them. Product figures in this article (limits, prices, per-reply costs) are taken from ReplyKit as it runs today and are re-checked when we update the page. Where we cite outside research, the source is linked below. We sell ReplyKit, so read our product claims with that in mind; we say where a different tool or no tool is the better choice. About ReplyKit.

Sources and further reading

WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy · opt-in, opt-out and prohibited-use rules every business must follow
Harvard Business Review, The Short Life of Online Sales Leads (Oldroyd, McElheran, Elkington, 2011) · firms that responded within an hour were about seven times more likely to qualify the lead

ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. This article is general guidance for running a small business, not legal, financial or regulatory advice.