E-Commerce Support
Handle returns, order inquiries, shipping questions, and review follow-ups at scale — 24/7, in seconds, for $50/month.
E-Commerce: The first domino
E-commerce is where AI agent adoption begins, because the work is the most repetitive, the highest volume, and the most clearly defined. A single AI agent handles what 5-8 offshore VAs struggle with.
What the agent handles
- Order status inquiries — "Where is my order?" The agent checks Shopify and responds with tracking information
- Return and exchange requests — Follows your return policy, generates return labels, processes exchanges. Escalates outside-policy requests
- Product questions — "Does this come in blue?" "Is this compatible with X?" Searches the product catalog and responds accurately
- Shipping issues — Lost packages, delayed deliveries, incorrect addresses. Contacts the carrier, files claims, keeps the customer updated
- Review follow-ups — After delivery, sends a follow-up asking for a review. If the customer reports a problem, handles it before it becomes a negative review
- Refund processing — Processes refunds within approved parameters, escalates anything outside the threshold
The math
Offshore VA team
500 customer interactions/day. 5-8 VAs required. Each costs $1,600/month. Managing the team is a full-time job. Quality varies across individuals. Response time: 15 min to 4 hours.
Custom Agents
Same 500 interactions/day. 1-3 AI agents. Response time: seconds. 24/7 availability. Perfectly consistent. Zero management overhead.
E-Commerce: VA Team vs Custom Agents
| Factor | Offshore VA Team | Custom Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Agents/VAs required | 5 to 8 | 1 to 3 |
| Monthly cost | $4,000 – $12,800 | $50 |
| Response time | 15 min – 4 hours | Seconds |
| Availability | 8–16 hours/day | 24/7 |
| Onboarding time | 1–3 weeks each | Minutes |
| Quality consistency | Variable | Identical every time |
| Language support | 1–2 languages | Any language |
| Scaling | Hire and train more | Create more agents |
How it works in practice
A customer emails support@yourstore.com about a damaged item:
"Hi, I received my order #4521 today and the table leg is broken. I need this resolved ASAP — it's for a dinner party this weekend."
The AI agent:
- Verifies the order in Shopify
- Checks the item is within the return window
- Looks up the customer's history (first-time buyer, no previous issues)
- Recognizes the urgency ("dinner party this weekend")
- Generates a return label and offers an expedited replacement
- Sends a warm, empathetic response referencing the dinner party
- Logs the interaction to the CRM
Total time: under 10 seconds. A human VA would take 15-30 minutes for the same task.
Handle 500 emails/day for $50/month
Your e-commerce support team, automated. Better response times, perfect consistency, zero management.