Managing Orders

Your order management workflow directly affects customer satisfaction. A customer who places an order expects timely confirmation, accurate fulfilment, and easy recourse if something goes wrong. This guide covers every stage of the order lifecycle — from the moment a new order comes in through to post-delivery follow-up — and explains how to handle returns and refunds professionally.

1. The Order Dashboard

The order dashboard (found at Orders in your store admin) is your central hub for all transactions. Key columns include:

• Order number — unique identifier used for customer communication and tracking.
• Date — when the order was placed.
• Customer name and email — for contacting the buyer.
• Status — the current stage of the order (see below).
• Total — order value including taxes and shipping.
• Payment method — how the customer paid.

Use the search bar and filters to find specific orders by status, date range, or customer. For high-volume stores, set up saved filters for "Pending Payment" and "Processing" so you can action them quickly each morning.

2. Order Statuses Explained

Understanding each status prevents errors and keeps customers informed.

3. Processing New Orders

When an order arrives with Processing status, follow these steps:

1. Verify the order details — confirm the item(s), quantity, shipping address, and any special instructions left by the customer in the order notes field.
2. Check inventory — ensure the item is in stock and pick it from your warehouse or supplier. If out of stock, place the order On Hold immediately and notify the customer with an estimated restock date.
3. Pack the item — use appropriate packaging to protect the product. Include a packing slip (printable from the order detail page) and any promotional inserts.
4. Create a shipping label — generate the label from your carrier integration (Canada Post, Purolator, UPS, FedEx) directly in the order detail page, or use a third-party label tool.
5. Add the tracking number — paste the carrier tracking number into the order before marking it Complete. This triggers the shipment confirmation email to the customer.
6. Mark the order Complete — the system sends the customer a shipping notification email with their tracking link.

4. Fulfilment Options

Depending on your business model, you may use one or more of these fulfilment approaches:

Self-Fulfilment

You pick, pack, and ship orders from your own location. Full control over packaging and presentation. Suitable for lower-volume stores or businesses with unique packaging requirements.

Dropshipping

Orders are sent automatically to a supplier who ships directly to the customer. You never handle the physical product. Keep an eye on supplier processing times and stock levels — delays on the supplier's end reflect on your brand.

Third-Party Logistics (3PL)

A fulfilment warehouse stores your inventory and ships orders on your behalf when triggered by your store. Ideal for higher-volume operations or businesses without warehouse space. Popular Canadian 3PLs include Shipbob, Deliverr, and Canpar Logistics.

Digital / Service Delivery

For downloadable products, the order is automatically marked complete after successful payment and the download link is emailed to the customer. For services, manually mark orders complete once the service is delivered.

5. Handling Returns and Refunds

A clear, fair return policy builds customer trust and reduces disputes. Handle return requests promptly:

1. Review the return request — open the order and read the reason. Common reasons: wrong item shipped, damaged in transit, item not as described, customer changed their mind.
2. Approve or investigate — for legitimate issues (wrong or damaged item), approve immediately. For "changed mind" returns, apply your policy (e.g., returns accepted within 30 days in original condition).
3. Provide a return label — if you cover return shipping, generate a prepaid label and email it to the customer. For customer-pay returns, provide your return address.
4. Inspect the returned item — once received, verify condition before issuing the refund.
5. Issue the refund — go to the order, click Refund, select full or partial amount, and submit. Refunds typically appear on the customer's card within 5–10 business days depending on their bank.
6. Restock or write off the item — mark the inventory as returned-to-stock if resalable, or as damaged/written-off if not.

6. Customer Communication

Proactive communication prevents support tickets. Set up automatic emails for each key event:

• Order confirmation — sent immediately after payment, summarising items, total, and estimated delivery.
• Order processing — optional; useful if your processing time is longer than 24 hours.
• Shipment confirmation — triggered when you mark an order complete; includes tracking number and carrier link.
• Delivery confirmation — sent when the carrier marks the parcel as delivered (requires carrier webhook integration).
• Refund confirmation — sent automatically when you process a refund through the admin.

For issues that fall outside these automated emails — such as stock delays or damaged shipments — add a personal order note visible to the customer using the Add Note feature on the order detail page with Notify customer checked.

7. Order Management Best Practices

• Process orders at scheduled times — batch processing twice daily (morning and early afternoon) is more efficient than checking constantly.
• Always add tracking numbers — never mark an order complete without adding a tracking number. Customers who can track their package contact support far less than those who cannot.
• Document every action — use private order notes to record why you placed an order on hold, when you called a customer, or why you issued a partial refund. This creates an audit trail if there is a dispute later.
• Review failed orders weekly — customers with failed payments may need a payment link or an alternative method.
• Monitor your average fulfilment time — aim for under 24 hours on processing orders. If the metric climbs, investigate bottlenecks in packing or carrier pickup.
• Archive old orders — completed orders older than 6 months can be exported to a CSV for accounting, keeping your dashboard clean and fast.

8. Common Issues