How to Handle Customer Inquiries and HM Messages as an Online Seller
Practical guide for Filipino online sellers on answering "HM po" and "How much?" DMs: reply scripts, pricing responses, follow-up messages, and turning inquiries into paid orders
What you’ll learn in this customer inquiries and HM messages guide
This customer inquiry and "HM po" message handling guide for online sellers in the Philippines covers what HM means, ready-to-use reply templates, pricing and availability responses, follow-up scripts, and how to convert chats into confirmed orders.
For related guides on selling online, also see our Online Marketplaces (Shopee, Lazada, TikTok) Guide , Google Business Profile & Social Media Posting Guide , TikTok Shop & Shopee Seller BIR Guide , and Digital Payments vs Cash Guide .
What "HM" and "Details Po" Messages Really Are
"HM" is short for "how much." When a customer sends you "HM po," "details po," or "PM sent," they are asking for your price and product details. It is the Filipino online shopper's way of raising their hand. The problem is that most buyers do not say which item they mean, especially if your page posts several products, services, and promos in a day.
For a solo seller handling the page, the packing, and the deliveries all at once, a vague "HM" turns into a mini investigation. You scroll back to figure out which post they saw, ask what item they mean, wait for a reply, then finally send the price. Multiply that by twenty inquiries a day and your inbox becomes unpaid overtime.
Here is the good news: most of that back-and-forth is fixable. With a pinned pricelist, saved replies, and a simple way of asking "which item po?", you can answer most inquiries in one message instead of five. This guide shows you exactly how, with scripts you can copy today.
Why Fast, Clear Inquiry Handling Matters
An inquiry is not yet a sale, but it is the closest thing to one. How you handle it decides whether it becomes an order or a "seen" that never comes back:
Speed wins the sale
A customer messaging you is often messaging two or three other sellers at the same time. The one who replies first with a complete answer usually gets the order.
Complete answers build trust
A reply that already includes the price, sizes, delivery options, and payment methods tells the buyer you are organized and legit. Vague replies make buyers suspect a scam or a hassle.
Facebook rewards responsiveness
Facebook Pages display a response rate and response time badge. Fast replies keep that badge green, which signals to new visitors that you are active and reliable.
Good handling creates suki
Buyers remember the seller who made ordering easy. A smooth first transaction is how one "HM po" turns into a repeat customer who stops asking and just orders.
Step-by-Step Process for Handling Inquiries
Make prices findable before anyone asks
Put the price in the post caption itself whenever possible. Keep an updated pricelist image as your pinned post and cover photo. Most "HM" messages disappear when the price is already visible.
Ask which item, in one message
When you get a bare "HM po," do not just reply with a price list dump. Ask politely: "Hello po! Para saan po kayong item? Pwede po kayong mag-send ng screenshot ng post para masagot ko agad." One question, clear instruction.
Reply with the full package
Price, sizes or variants, stock status, delivery or meetup options, payment methods, and how to order, all in one message. The goal is that the buyer's next reply is the order itself, not another question.
Guide them to the order step
End every reply with a clear next step: "Send po your name, address, and preferred delivery date to reserve." Buyers who know the next step take it faster.
Follow up once, then let go
If they go silent after your quote, one friendly follow-up after a day is fine: "Hi po, available pa rin po yung item, just let me know po if interested." No spamming. Seen-zoned buyers sometimes come back, pestered buyers never do.
Label and record orders
Use Messenger labels (New Order, Paid, For Delivery, Done) or a simple notebook list so no paid order gets buried under new inquiries.
Checklist: What Every Inquiry Reply Should Contain
Before you hit send, check that your reply covers these. A complete reply ends the conversation in two messages instead of ten:
Price of the specific item they asked about, plus the variants or sizes and their prices if these differ.
Stock status: available, limited pieces, or preorder with a realistic lead time.
Delivery options and fees: courier, same-day rider, or meetup, plus who shoulders shipping.
Payment methods: GCash, Maya, bank transfer, or COD if you allow it, with the account name ready.
How to order: exactly what to send (name, address, contact number, item, quantity) so the buyer can copy your format.
A friendly closer: "Pwede po kayong mag-order anytime" or "Limited stock po, pa-reserve na lang po" keeps it warm without pressure.
What to Post Publicly vs What to Send by DM
"PM sent" culture exists for a reason, but used the wrong way it creates exactly the vague inquiries that waste your time. Use this to decide what goes where:
Post publicly: standard prices
Fixed prices, bundle prices, and promo prices belong in the caption. Hiding them only filters out impatient buyers and invites "HM" spam. The usual exceptions are made-to-order items and bulk quotes, where price truly depends on specs.
Post publicly: ordering instructions
"To order, send us a message with the item name and your area" in every caption trains buyers to give context upfront.
Send by DM: custom quotes
Bulk orders, customized items, and delivery fees that depend on the buyer's location deserve a private conversation.
Send by DM: anything personal
Payment details, addresses, screenshots of transactions, and sensitive issues like wrong items or refunds should never happen in public comments.
The honest test
If hiding the price is just to force engagement through comments, it is working against you. Buyers in a hurry skip posts without prices, and competitors who show theirs win quietly.
Setting Up Automated and Saved Replies
If you run a Facebook Page, Meta Business Suite has free tools that answer inquiries even while you sleep. You do not need a paid chatbot.
Turn on Instant Reply
In Meta Business Suite, go to Inbox, then Automations, then Instant Reply. Your first message should greet the buyer and ask for context: "Hi po! Salamat sa message. Para masagot ko agad, please send the item name or screenshot ng post, quantity, and your location po."
Set up FAQs
The same Automations menu lets you add Frequently Asked Questions that appear as tappable buttons when someone opens your chat. Add "Price list," "How to order," "Delivery areas," and "Payment methods" with ready answers.
Set an Away message
Schedule it outside your working hours so buyers know when to expect a real reply. "Offline na po kami for tonight, babalikan ko po kayo bukas ng umaga" manages expectations and keeps your response rating safe.
Build a saved-replies file
Keep your best replies in your phone's Notes app: pricelist reply, "which item po?" reply, order confirmation, payment details, shipping update, and thank-you message. Copy, paste, personalize the name, send.
On Shopee and TikTok Shop
Both platforms have built-in auto-reply and shortcut-reply features in the seller app settings. Fill these in too; buyers there expect near-instant answers and the platforms score your response rate.
Automation answers the question, but you still close the sale. Let the auto-reply collect the item name and location, then you jump in with the actual quote.
Warning: verify payments before shipping
Inquiry chats are also where payment scams happen. A buyer sending a "payment sent" screenshot means nothing until the money reflects in your GCash, Maya, or bank app. Check your own app, not the screenshot, before marking anything as paid. Also watch for buyers who push you to click links or move the deal off-platform; legitimate buyers do not need to.
Tips from Experienced Sellers
Pin the pricelist, not the promo
Promos expire, the pricelist is forever. Buyers who see your pinned pricelist first ask fewer "HM" questions and arrive ready to order.
Name your items clearly and consistently
If the post says "Aesthetic Tote Bag" and the buyer calls it "yung bag po," confusion starts. Short, distinct product names or codes (Item A, Bundle B) make matching questions to products much faster.
Reply to comments publicly, then DM
When someone comments "HM," answer with the price right there if it is standard, then add "PM po for orders." Other readers get the answer for free and your comment count helps the post reach more people.
Save a "last price" boundary
Decide your lowest acceptable price per item before hagglers message you. Then your reply to "last price po" is instant and calm instead of improvised under pressure.
Batch your inbox time
Checking messages every five minutes all day burns you out. Many sellers do better with set windows, for example after packing orders and before posting, plus instant reply covering the gaps.
Turn repeated questions into posts
If three people ask about delivery fees this week, that is your next FAQ post or caption line. Your inbox is free market research on what your content is missing.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These habits quietly cost you orders. Check if any of them sound familiar:
Replying "PM sent" and nothing else
The buyer still has to open the chat to see the answer. Post the price in the comment too, or lose them to the next seller in their feed.
No visible price anywhere
If a buyer cannot find any price on your page, many will not bother asking at all. Some shoppers assume hidden prices mean expensive.
One-line answers that invite follow-ups
"350 po" alone triggers three more questions: available pa, san kayo, paano payment. Answer the obvious next questions before they are asked.
Getting irritated at vague messages
Buyers do not know your posting schedule. A curt "saang post po ba?" reads as annoyed. Stay warm, ask for the screenshot, move on.
Arguing with hagglers or ghost inquiries
A buyer who asks then disappears is normal, not an insult. Arguing in comments or sending bitter follow-ups damages your page far more than a lost sale.
Posting sensitive info in public
Payment account numbers, customer addresses, and order disputes belong in DMs. Public screenshots with personal details can get reported and scare off buyers.
Conclusion
"HM po" will never stop coming, and honestly, you do not want it to. It means people are looking at your posts and considering buying. The goal is not to kill the inquiry, it is to make answering it almost effortless.
The system is simple. Put prices where buyers can find them. Set an instant reply that asks for the item and location upfront so every "HM" arrives with context. Keep saved replies ready so your full answer goes out in seconds. Follow up once, politely, then spend your energy on the buyers who reply.
Start with one move today: write your instant reply message and pin your pricelist. That alone will cut your back-and-forth in half. Hindi kayo manghuhula, pero kaya niyong gawing mas madali ang pagsagot. Kaya mo ito.
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