E-commerce outsourcing without the revolving door

Connext builds dedicated e-commerce teams that answer your customers, manage your orders, and keep your catalog accurate. They work inside your helpdesk, under your policies. You interview and choose every team member. Connext handles their recruiting, HR, payroll, IT, and facilities, then works to keep them on your team long after onboarding.

Fondo suave azul y naranja

Scaling a store rarely fails because demand dries up

It fails because the operation behind the storefront cannot keep pace.

Order volumes spike, support tickets pile up overnight, and margins thin under the weight of in-house headcount. Hiring locally for that pattern means carrying peak-season capacity through the shoulder months. A dedicated offshore team adds coverage where the volume actually lands, while you keep control of how the work is done rather than receiving an output and hoping it matches. The Philippines pairs commerce-experienced talent with night-shift coverage, backed by an IT-BPM workforce of roughly 1.9 million people.

$7.89T

Projected global retail e-commerce sales by 2028

1.9M

People in the Philippine IT-BPM workforce

$40B

IT-BPM sector revenue in 2025

One

Function to start with, before expanding on the numbers

Quick answer

What is e-commerce outsourcing?

E-commerce outsourcing is moving online store operations, like customer support, order management, returns, and catalog updates, to an outside team. Some providers rotate shared agents across many clients. A dedicated model assigns people who work only on your brand, inside your tools. With Connext, you select your team, and Connext handles their recruiting, HR, payroll, IT, and facilities.

Who answers your customers in your busiest week?

Every November, ticket queues spike and temporary agents who have never read your return policy start answering for your brand. Answers drift, refunds get missed, and the one-star reviews land in January. Your customers deserve the same knowledgeable people in your busiest week as in your quietest one.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Your ticket volume

The people answering it

Support volume through the year. The hiring decision is made in September; the reviews are written in January.

What does a low hourly rate leave out?

A low hourly rate looks like savings until you count what comes with it. Shared agents split their attention across several brands. High turnover means re-training every quarter, and every new face starts from zero on your products and policies. The number that matters is cost per resolved ticket, not cost per hour.

Who answers your customers

Hiring

Pay and benefits

Workspace

Culture

Oversight

Commodity support model

Agents shared across multiple clients

Fills seats fast, often entry-level only

Low salaries, minimal or no benefits

Crowded, high-density floors

Transactional, high turnover

Seat-count reporting

The Connext approach

A dedicated team that works only on your brand

Aligned to your brand voice, and you approve every hire

Competitive pay and a full benefits package

Purpose-built workstations and pantries

Events, celebrations, and community that drive tenure

Co-management with a dedicated in-country team manager

Which three questions should an outsourcing partner answer?

Most e-commerce outsourcing competes on the hourly rate. Before you compare rates, ask any provider these three questions. Here is how Connext answers them.

01

Who chose the person answering my customers?

Many providers assign agents from a shared pool. With Connext, every search starts with your brand, your channels, and your customers, and candidates complete skills assessments before anyone reaches your shortlist. Only the top 4% of applicants are sent to you, and you choose every team member.

02

Will they still be here next peak season?

Turnover is what erases product knowledge. Connext builds retention into the model with purpose-built workstations, real pantries, weekend events, and company-wide celebrations, backed by competitive pay and full benefits. At 90 days, 94% of Connext team members are still on their teams.

03

Who checks their work when I am not watching?

A dedicated in-country team manager, supported by U.S.-based business unit managers, runs weekly account reviews at a 35:1 employee-to-manager ratio. Your manager reports on productivity and quality and resolves HR and IT issues before they reach you. You keep the policies and the final word.

Who does what on a Connext e-commerce team?

Your team members answer tickets, process orders and returns, and keep listings accurate.

You keep your helpdesk, your AI tools, your refund and escalation policies, and the final say on how customers are treated. Connext supplies the people and the infrastructure behind them, and acts as Employer of Record for your team.

What is left for people once AI handles the routine?

As AI takes on order-status and tracking questions, the tickets left for people get harder. Think damaged deliveries, refund disputes, frustrated repeat customers, and orders that look like fraud. Customers still expect a person for those.

You choose and own the AI tools. Your Connext team works alongside them and handles everything they cannot.

87%

of customers said companies using GenAI for service must provide access to a human agent

85%

of service leaders are expanding human agent responsibilities as AI reduces contact volume

Gartner, 2026 survey of 3,566 customers.

What does this look like when volume does not slow down?

A venture-backed e-commerce startup needed round-the-clock support to keep up with rapid growth across time zones. Connext built a dedicated 24/7 customer support team, recruited and managed through the co-management model. The partnership improved response times and supported stronger customer retention as the business grew.

Read the case study

Connext has become a core part of our workforce strategy. Their ability to consistently deliver skilled, dependable team members has helped us navigate local hiring challenges while staying focused on growth.

Executive leader, Hawaii-based logistics company. A 10+ year partnership, 19 team members.

What can a Connext e-commerce team take on?

Dedicated e-commerce professionals who answer customers in your brand voice, keep orders moving, and protect margin on every return and refund. Your in-house team gets time back for merchandising, growth, and the customer moments only they can own. Your operations capacity grows without adding U.S. headcount.

Omnichannel customer support

Email, live chat, social messaging, phone, and review responses.

Order management

Order entry and edits, cancellations, address changes, shipping and tracking updates.

Returns and exchanges

Return authorizations, exchanges, refunds processed under your policy, warranty claims.

Catalog and listings

Product data entry, descriptions, image uploads, pricing and inventory updates.

Marketplace support

Listing maintenance, seller account tasks, and buyer messages across your marketplace channels.

Fraud and chargeback support

Order verification, flagged-order review, chargeback documentation.

E-commerce accounting

Payout and payment reconciliation, AP/AR, invoicing, sales tax data prep for your review.

Need Spanish-language support? Connext also builds bilingual teams in Colombia and Mexico, working U.S. business hours.

How does Connext structure an e-commerce team?

Connext in-country team manager reviewing customer support quality with an e-commerce team

1

Define the role

We map your channels, ticket types, order volumes, and peak calendar before writing the job description.

2

Recruit and select

Candidates complete skills assessments, then you interview the finalists and choose your team.

3

Train on your brand

Team members learn your products, policies, helpdesk, and brand voice alongside your team lead before going live.

4

Co-manage every shift

Your in-country team manager tracks quality and productivity, runs weekly account reviews, and handles HR, IT, and facilities.

Customer and order data stays protected. Connext holds SOC 2 Type II certification, backed by monitored workstations and audited access controls. You control permissions in your helpdesk and store platform, so each team member sees only what their role requires.

What does a role cost per month?

Role

Entry, 1 to 2 yrs

Mid, 3 to 4 yrs

Senior, 5+ yrs

Customer support, Philippines

$1,755 to $1,818

$1,818 to $1,911

$1,974 to $2,156

Order management coordinator, Philippines

$1,808 to $1,970

$1,970 to $2,130

$2,130 to $2,431

Customer service rep, Colombia

$2,210 to $2,297

$2,297 to $2,516

$2,516 to $2,734

Illustrative monthly rates per full-time team member, fully loaded. Final rates depend on role scope, experience, and location.

Peak season is coming

What does your support team cost today?

Enter your support headcount, salaries, and peak-season needs to compare your fully loaded in-house cost with a dedicated Connext e-commerce team. Savings vary by role, seniority, and location, so the calculator shows your number, not an average.

Book a planning call and we will map your peak-season headcount, the roles you need, and a cost breakdown for your exact team.

No upfront cost to start.

$275.1B

Adobe forecasts U.S. online holiday sales will reach a record $275.1 billion in 2026, up 6.7% year over year.

Outsourcing pricing calculator comparing in-house support cost with a Connext dedicated team

In-house, per-hour BPO or a dedicated team, what changes?

Factor

In-house team

Per-hour BPO

Connext dedicated team

Who handles your tickets

Your U.S. employees

Agents often shared across several clients

A dedicated team that works only on your brand

Brand voice

Strong, if you can hire and keep the right people

Scripted to fit many clients

Selected and trained on your voice; you approve every hire

Peak-season flexibility

Overtime or temporary hires

Varies by contract and agent pool

Add team members to the same managed team ahead of peak

Who owns the AI

You

Often the provider own tools

You choose and own the AI; your team works alongside it

Retention

Depends on your local labor market

Often high turnover

94% of team members still on their teams at 90 days

Cost model

U.S. salary plus benefits and taxes, recruiting and turnover

Typically hourly, per-agent, or per-ticket pricing

Fully loaded monthly rate per team member

Columns describe models, not named companies.

Why do companies choose Connext for e-commerce outsourcing?

Your brand. Your tools. Your rules.

Team members work in your helpdesk and store platform, under your policies and escalation paths.

Agents who stay long enough to know your catalog

At 90 days, 94% of Connext team members are still on their teams, and 98% of clients stay with Connext.

Real oversight at a 35:1 ratio

A dedicated in-country team manager reviews your account weekly, not just at renewal.

Peak-season capacity without the temp-agency scramble

Add team members to the same managed team ahead of your busiest weeks.

Security your auditors can verify

SOC 2 Type II certification, monitored workstations, and audited access controls.

One agent or a full operations floor. Same model.

The co-management model behind a 24/7 support team for a venture-backed e-commerce startup and an order desk for a Hawaii-based food distributor is the same one available to a brand hiring its first support agent.

A team your customers will recognize, every season

Connext gives you e-commerce professionals you choose, a model built to keep them, and management that stays in it with you. You keep the brand, the tools, and the final word.

Frequently asked questions

How much does e-commerce outsourcing cost?
It depends on the pricing model. Many providers bill per hour, per agent, or per ticket, which can look cheaper but often means shared agents. A dedicated model is priced per team member at a fully loaded monthly rate. At Connext, customer support roles in the Philippines start at $1,755 per month, covering salary, benefits, HR, IT, and facilities.
How do AI chatbots and an outsourced support team work together?
The AI handles routine questions like order status and tracking, then hands off anything it cannot resolve. Your outsourced team takes those handoffs: refund disputes, damaged orders, and frustrated customers. In a 2026 Gartner survey, 87% of customers said companies using GenAI for service must offer access to a human agent. With Connext, you choose and own the AI tools.
What is the difference between a dedicated e-commerce team and shared BPO agents?
Shared agents split their time across several clients, often following generic scripts. A dedicated team works only on your brand, so agents learn your products, policies, and customers over time. With Connext, you interview and select each team member, and a dedicated in-country team manager oversees performance with you.
How early should an online store staff up for peak season?
Start planning at least two to three months before your peak. That leaves time to recruit, train team members on your products and policies, and run them on live tickets before volume spikes. Connext typically delivers first qualified candidates within weeks of kickoff, so earlier planning means a fully trained team when it counts.
Is it safe to give an offshore team access to customer and order data?
It can be, when the provider proves its controls. Ask for a current SOC 2 Type II report, and keep permissions in your own helpdesk and store platform. Connext holds SOC 2 Type II certification, backed by monitored workstations and audited access controls. You decide what each team member can see, and you can change or revoke access at any time.
What does the Contractor Transitions service involve?
If you are already working with independent contractors, Connext transitions them into a compliant, fully supported offshore team without losing the people you already trust.
Where are Connext's offices located?
Connext operates offices in the Philippines, Colombia, Mexico and India.
Do I need to already have staff to get started with Connext?
No. Most clients start from zero: Connext recruits, hires and onboards the team for you, and you keep control of how they work. If you already have contractors or staff in place, we transition them instead so you do not lose the people you trust.
What security measures are in place at Connext facilities?
Teams work from more than 50,000 sq ft of secure, purpose-built workspace with 24/7 managed IT support, secure VPN access and full technology integration.
What kind of support is available after my team is up and running?
Your Operations Manager stays with the account, running weekly performance reviews and retention management that keeps annual attrition around 20% versus a 50% industry standard.

Keep reading

Guide

A guide to e-commerce outsourcing to the Philippines

Which store operations move offshore first, and what the Philippines adds to an e-commerce team.

Read the guide →

Article

BPO fulfillment services

What a fulfillment support desk covers, from order intake through to exceptions and returns.

Read the article →

Service

Zendesk staffing

A dedicated team working inside the helpdesk you already use, hired on the same model.

See the service →

Teams  we can help you build
Every client receives the full suite of Connext outsourcing services, enabling you to easily build and manage your offshore team

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