The Complete Guide to Customer Service in China

Providing customer service in China involves much more than translating an existing help centre into Chinese. Users need to be able to reach support through channels that work reliably in Mainland China, receive assistance in Mandarin and resolve account, payment, order, technical and after-sales issues.

This is particularly important for both foreign digital products and international brands selling online in China. An app may be fully localised and available through the Chinese Apple App Store or local Android app stores, but users will still encounter questions involving login methods, Chinese payments, device compatibility, subscriptions and refunds. A store on Taobao, Tmall, JD, Douyin or RedNote must also handle pre-sales questions, order enquiries, returns, complaints and platform-specific service targets. In both cases, customer service needs to be designed as part of the China market entry strategy rather than added after launch.

China has also introduced a new national standard for its customer service. GB/T 47746-2026, Customer Contact Service—Requirements for Collaboration Between Human and Intelligent Customer Services, was published on 25 May 2026 and takes effect on 1 September 2026. This guide will explain everything you need to know about customer service in China.

What Does Customer Service in China Include?

Customer service in China is not limited to telephone support. Depending on the product, it may include:

• Help or Support screen inside an app 
• Native in-app messaging 
• WeChat support account 
• WeChat Official Account 
• WeChat Mini Program
• Website live chat
• Platform messaging
• Email
• Internal ticketing system

The correct service structure will therefore differ between a consumer app, a mobile game, an enterprise SaaS platform and a store on Taobao or Douyin. An app operator controls its own support interface, whereas an e-commerce merchant will normally work inside the platform’s messaging, order and dispute systems. What they share is the need for a visible service entrance, trained personnel, clear escalation rules and a complete record of the interaction.

Why Is Customer Service Different in China?

Chinese users are accustomed to communicating with companies through instant messaging and in-platform service interfaces, only in Chinese. On an e-commerce platform, a user can normally contact the seller directly from a product or order page. For an app, directing the user only to an overseas email address often creates unnecessary friction.

Foreign businesses also need to consider whether their existing support tools work reliably in Mainland China. A help centre may load slowly, an embedded chat tool may depend on blocked or unstable third-party resources, and an overseas support team may not have access to the app’s Chinese account, payment or distribution systems. Different time zones should also be take into account if the team is based outside of China. 

Which Laws and Standards Regulate Customer Service in China?

Customer service is governed by a combination of laws, regulations, national standards, sector rules and platform agreements.

• The E-Commerce Law of the People’s Republic of China establishes obligations for e-commerce operators and platforms. 
• The Consumer Rights Protection Law Implementation Regulations provide further rules for protecting consumers, handling returns and refunds, and preventing operators from using unfair terms to restrict consumer rights.
• The Network Transaction Supervision and Administration Measures, amended in 2025, apply to goods and services sold through internet networks. They expressly cover transactions conducted through social media and livestreaming and distinguish between platform operators, merchants operating on platforms and businesses selling through their own websites or other online services. They also require appropriate disclosure of the actual operator and after-sales information in social-commerce and livestreaming scenarios.
• Customer-service records frequently contain personal information. Their collection, access, use and transfer must therefore be assessed under the Personal Information Protection Law, alongside applicable cybersecurity, data-security and Multi-Level Protection Scheme requirements.

GB/T 47746-2026 sits within this wider framework. It provides an authoritative operational benchmark and may be incorporated into procurement requirements, contracts, internal policies or industry assessments. Separate platform rules can also impose response targets and other requirements directly on merchants.

What are the New National Standards for Customer Service in China?

GB/T 47746-2026 applies to organisations that provide both human and intelligent customer service. It covers inbound and outbound interactions conducted through voice, text and video, as well as service completion, ticket handling, information security and continuous improvement.

The standard states that AI should handle high-frequency, standardised questions, while human agents remain necessary for complex requirements, emotional communication and special situations. In its official interpretation of the standard, the State Administration for Market Regulation identified arbitrary task allocation, broken handovers, poor data synchronisation and inconsistent service quality as the problems the standard is intended to address.

Organisations should establish appropriate human-service capacity, internal procedures, an emergency mechanism for disasters or system failures, a customer-information and ticketing system, a knowledge base, training for human agents and a process for regularly improving the intelligent service.

How Does GB/T 47746-2026 Apply to Mobile Apps?

The standard does not contain a separate chapter for mobile apps, but its requirements are channel-neutral. They apply to native apps, games, SaaS products and Mini Programs whenever human and intelligent customer service operate together. In practice, app operators should:

• Provide a visible customer-service entrance: Place support in an accessible location, such as the user profile, account settings, order screen or Help section.
• Offer straightforward access to human support: Users should not have to navigate long or irrelevant chatbot menus before reaching a human agent.
• Establish clear routing rules: AI can handle standard questions about features, supported devices, known errors and order or service status. Complex, ambiguous, unusual or unresolved enquiries should be assigned to a human.
• Prioritise sensitive cases: Human agents should handle requests involving personal or property safety, account security, personal information, repeated failed contacts or clear customer dissatisfaction.
• Consider vulnerable user groups: Older people, minors and users who have difficulty using intelligent customer service may require easier access to human assistance.
• Preserve information during transfers: Account details, app version, device information, order references, previous troubleshooting steps and ticket status should transfer with the conversation.
• Avoid making customers repeat themselves: Human agents should receive the information already collected by the chatbot and continue from the same point.
• Prepare for system failures: Apps should provide an alternative service route and emergency procedure if the chatbot, ticketing system or another support component becomes unavailable.

These measures are especially important for apps involving payments, healthcare, transport, security or other time-sensitive services.

Which Enquiries Should Be Handled by AI or a Human Agent?

The appropriate allocation will depend on the product and the quality of its knowledge base. The following table provides a practical starting point.

Generally suitable for intelligent service	Should normally be handled by a human
Basic instructions for using the app	Repeated technical problems that remain unresolved
Supported devices and operating systems	Unusual device-specific compatibility problems
Known error messages with verified solutions	Unknown or serious errors
Standard password-reset instructions	Account access remains blocked after standard recovery
Order, delivery or service status	Contested charges, refunds or compensation
Standard subscription and cancellation information	Lost data, content or virtual items
Store opening hours and standard return policies	Suspected account compromise or information leakage
Routine stock and promotion questions	Complaints involving product or personal safety
Standard invoice instructions	Highly personalised or ambiguous requests
Service notifications and reminders	A customer explicitly rejects AI or requests a person

High enquiry volume can justify routing more standardised work to AI, but it does not justify preventing access to a human agent. The aim is to use AI to increase capacity while preserving an effective route for situations that require judgement, empathy or authority.

What Must Happen When a Customer Requests a Human Agent?

GB/T 47746-2026 requires intelligent customer service to provide a human-service entrance. This can be triggered through customer keywords, a menu option, a dedicated button or key, a voice instruction or an automatic system rule.

Expressions such as “转人工”, “人工客服” or “联系人工” (all meaning “transfer to human customer support”) should initiate the transfer process. Voice systems should provide a consistent instruction and move into the transfer process once the relevant phrase is recognised.

During the handover, the system should provide queue information or an estimated waiting time. It must also synchronise the relevant identity details, interaction history, problem description and ticket status. Once the transfer is complete, the customer should not be required to repeat information already provided.

The reverse transfer is more restricted. A human agent may send a routine enquiry to intelligent service, but the customer should first be clearly informed and must consent. Workload alone should not be used to move a customer back to AI without their knowledge.

Which Customer-Service Channels Work for Apps and E-Commerce?

The appropriate channels depend on whether the business controls its own customer interface or operates through an e-commerce platform.

• Apps: High-risk products, such as financial or healthcare apps, may require native support connected to the user’s account. Smaller consumer apps may use WeChat, while higher-volume services can combine in-app FAQs, AI support, WeChat and human ticket escalation.
• WeChat support: A dedicated WeChat contact can be placed in the app’s Help section with little or no code integration. AppInChina’s customer service solution uses this model, with China-based representatives handling first-line enquiries and escalating unresolved issues through an online ticketing system.
• Technical integration: Ticket references, user IDs, app versions, device details and error codes should follow the user when they move between channels. This prevents them from having to repeat the same information.
• E-commerce platforms: Merchants should normally use the platform’s own chat and order-support systems. This keeps the conversation connected to the relevant product, transaction and dispute records.
• Secondary channels: WeChat, telephone and email can supplement the main service channel, but relying only on an overseas email address is rarely appropriate for a consumer-facing app or online store in China.

All channels should connect to a consistent ticketing, human-transfer and escalation process.

How Does Customer Service Apply to Games, SaaS and WeChat Mini Programs?

• Mobile games: AI can provide standard instructions about login, compatibility and known technical problems. Human agents should handle contested payments, lost virtual items, child-user issues, moderation disputes and account-security incidents.
• SaaS platforms: AI can answer documented questions about features, billing and integrations. Complex configuration, data access, security and service-outage cases should be escalated and tracked until resolution.
• WeChat Mini Programs: The brand, operator, developer and customer-service provider should clearly divide their responsibilities. Customer-service tickets may need to connect the user’s WeChat identity with their order, payment and refund information.

Operating within WeChat or another third-party platform does not remove the product operator’s responsibility for customer-service quality, data protection and effective human escalation.

How Should E-Commerce Businesses Apply the Standard?

Customer service on an e-commerce platform normally involves several parties:

• The platform handles platform accounts, system problems and formal disputes.
• The merchant handles product questions, orders, delivery and after-sales service.
• A trusted partner may operate the store or provide customer-service staff on the merchant’s behalf.

Contracts and internal procedures should define who handles each type of enquiry, who can approve refunds or compensation and who communicates with the platform during disputes.

Where both AI and human customer service are used, GB/T 47746-2026 should be applied throughout the customer journey:

• Pre-sales: AI can answer verified questions about specifications, stock and promotions. Human agents should handle personalised advice, unclear requirements and sensitive product claims.
• Orders and payments: AI can provide standard payment instructions and order updates. Failed payments, contested charges and policy exceptions should be escalated.
• Delivery: AI can provide tracking and standard delivery estimates. Lost, damaged or urgent deliveries normally require human intervention.
• After-sales: AI can explain standard return, exchange and warranty procedures. Product defects, disputed refunds and compensation requests should be handled by an authorised person.
• Complaints and disputes: Safety concerns, suspected fraud, legal complaints, negative customer sentiment and formal platform disputes should be transferred promptly to a human agent.

The platform may provide the chatbot and messaging system, but the merchant remains responsible for configuring its knowledge base, staffing, operating hours and escalation procedures. Platform tools support compliance; they do not establish compliance by themselves.

How Does Customer Service Work on Taobao, JD, Douyin and RedNote?

Taobao and Tmall

Alibaba provides AI customer service for merchants through Dianxiaomi (店小蜜). In March 2026, Alibaba reported that the tool was being tested by 200,000 merchants and was being upgraded from scripted chatbot responses towards agents capable of handling conversations and completing tasks. Alibaba Group

Merchants should use AI for standard questions about stock, logistics, promotions and return policies while retaining human capacity for unusual promotion combinations, refund disputes, product problems and safety issues. Knowledge bases and staffing plans should be updated before 618, Singles’ Day and other major campaigns. To learn more, read our complete guide to Tmall e-commerce.

JD.com

JD merchants use Jingmai (京麦) and Jingdong Dongdong (京东咚咚) as part of the merchant-service environment. JD also provides intelligent customer-service, work-order, knowledge-base and agent-assistance technology through JoyAI.

Responsibility will depend partly on whether the product is sold directly by JD or by a marketplace merchant. Standard order and delivery enquiries may be automated, while warranty exceptions, compensation, product-quality complaints and complex after-sales cases should be directed to the responsible human team.

To learn more about selling on JD.com, read our full guide.

Douyin E-Commerce

Douyin merchants use Feige (飞鸽), which includes chatbot and human-transfer configuration. Douyin’s learning centre provides specific guidance on configuring transfer from the Feige robot to a human agent and monitors merchant service indicators such as the three-minute reply rate.

AI can help absorb repetitive questions generated during livestreams, such as product links, coupons, stock and delivery. It should not become a barrier when a livestream enquiry develops into a complex order, return, product-claim or safety complaint.

To learn more about how to sell on Douyin, read our full guide.

RedNote

RedNote merchants have access to the Qianfan Customer Service Workspace and platform intelligent-service functions. Customer journeys can move between content, private messages, product recommendations and store transactions, making consistent context particularly important.

Many RedNote enquiries are also open-ended. Questions about skincare suitability, fashion, appearance, lifestyle or product performance may not have a single standard answer. These interactions should not be fully automated unless the knowledge base can support a reliable answer, particularly where health, safety or regulated product claims are involved.

To learn more about how to sell on RedNote, read our full guide.

What Are the Most Common Customer-Service Mistakes in China?

Common mistakes include relying only on an overseas email address, providing support only in English, hiding human service behind a chatbot and failing to retain context when users move between an app, WeChat, an e-commerce platform and a human agent.

Other problems include using machine-translated scripts without product localisation, leaving the AI knowledge base unchanged after a product release or shopping campaign, providing insufficient Beijing-time coverage, allowing AI to handle sensitive or high-risk issues, and giving overseas teams broader access to customer records than they require. E-commerce merchants may also focus on reply speed while ignoring whether the issue was actually resolved, or assume the platform’s default chatbot and return settings require no further configuration.

Businesses should also avoid assuming either that all customer service requires a B24 licence or that no licensing questions apply. The correct answer depends on whether the company is serving its own users, acting for third parties and operating telecommunications numbers and call-centre infrastructure.

Finally, outsourcing does not mean the service can be ignored. The foreign company still needs to train the provider, supply current documentation, assign escalation contacts and review performance.

How Can a Foreign Company Set Up Customer Service in China?

A practical implementation process is:

1. Map the questions users are likely to raise before purchase, during product use or fulfilment, and after payment.
2. Identify the relevant consumer, data, sector, app-store and platform requirements.
3. Select the appropriate in-app, WeChat, marketplace, telephone and email channels.
4. Decide which questions AI may answer and which require a human agent.
5. Build a Chinese knowledge base using verified product, payment, refund and troubleshooting information.
6. Configure keywords, menus and automatic escalation for human service.

This process, particularly identifiying keyword triggers for certain automated responses or escalation to human services, will help optimise the user experience. The process should also be repeated whenever the product, pricing, payments, platform configuration or applicable rules change.

How Can AppInChina Help?

As part of AppInChina’s customer service solution, we can help by:

• Providing a free assessment of the customer-service, licensing and data requirements for your app, e-commerce operation or digital service in China.
• Establishing a dedicated WeChat customer-service route that can be added to your app’s Help or Support section with minimal or no code integration.
• Providing China-based customer-service representatives trained using your product documentation.
• Handling standard first-line enquiries in Mandarin and escalating technical, payment or other complex cases to the appropriate team within your company.
• Tracking open and closed issues through an online ticketing system and providing access to ticket details, responses and performance metrics.
• Localising customer-service documentation, scripts and knowledge bases for Chinese users.
• Helping design human-AI routing, transfer and ticketing processes that reflect GB/T 47746-2026.
• Adapting customer-service workflows for apps and the pre-sales, order and after-sales stages of Chinese e-commerce.
• Creating a scalable service package based on your number of users, required operating hours and product complexity.

Contact us to book your free consultation call and establish a customer-service solution for your app, website or e-commerce business in China.