Managing High-Volume eCommerce on TikTok Shop

Michael Klonoff -

This post was created by a guest of AfterShip in collaboration with Sarah Kang, AfterShip's Senior Technology Partner Manager. If you're a partner or community member interested in contributing to our blog, email us.

In 2023, TikTok seemingly evolved from a platform known for viral dances and makeup tutorials into a powerhouse eCommerce marketplace, offering businesses an exciting new channel for acquiring customers. In the last few months of 2023, the platform generated $3.84 billion in consumer spending worldwide. As TikTok Shop grows in popularity, brands have the opportunity to engage millions of consumers and drive more eCommerce sales. 

Selling on TikTok Shop is full of opportunities, but your Store Rating can make or break your success. Your Store Rating depends on three critical factors: fulfillment speed, return rate, and customer service. A low rating means fewer sales and less visibility, but with AfterShip and Gorgias, you can rise above the competition. 

In this article, we’ll explain why AfterShip and Gorgias can help you remove friction, improve your rating, and thrive on TikTok Shop. 

Streamline product listings and order management with AfterShip Feed

One of the main challenges of high-volume eCommerce on TikTok Shop is efficiently managing product listings, order fulfillment, and inventory. That’s where AfterShip Feed comes in. 

AfterShip Feed keeps your Shopify inventory perfectly synced with TikTok Shop, so your listings are always accurate. Once a sale is made, AfterShip handles real-time tracking and branded notifications, keeping customers informed every step of the way. Merchants who use AfterShip Feed for TikTok Shop order management see 10% recaptured revenue and save 30% in workforce costs. Specifically designed for TikTok Shop, AfterShip Feed offers features designed to support businesses with large-scale operations, including:

  • Bulk product listing: Managing hundreds or even thousands of products can be daunting. AfterShip Feed simplifies this process through bulk uploads and editing, allowing merchants to list high volumes of items quickly. Instead of updating each listing manually, sellers can update multiple product details simultaneously, saving hours of hands-on work.
  • Real-time inventory sync: Inventory management can make or break an eCommerce business, especially when selling across multiple platforms. AfterShip Feed ensures real-time inventory sync between TikTok Shop and other eCommerce channels. This helps prevent overselling and stockouts, two common problems that frustrate customers and lead to lost sales. 
  • AI-powered attributes filling: Accurate product descriptions are crucial for building customer trust and satisfaction. AfterShip Feed’s AI-powered attributes filling feature automatically generates key product details to save time and ensure correct information.
  • Product ID generator and templates: Managing SKUs can be complex for high-volume sellers, especially when selling via multiple channels. AfterShip Feed offers a product ID generator and templates to simplify SKU management. This feature ensures uniformity and accuracy across listings, minimizing errors that could result in incorrect shipments or product mismanagement.
  • Order sync and fulfillment: A streamlined order fulfillment process is essential to delivering a positive customer experience. AfterShip Feed syncs orders from TikTok Shop directly with your existing fulfillment systems, ensuring orders are processed promptly and delivered on time. 

If a return is needed, AfterShip’s returns portal makes the process smooth and easy. And for any issues that arise, Gorgias pulls data directly from AfterShip, centralizing customer inquiries about orders, tracking, and returns.

Elevate customer support with Gorgias’s TikTok Shop integration

Another critical aspect of managing high-volume eCommerce is customer support. With a large number of orders comes an influx of customer inquiries, and managing these communications efficiently can be a challenge. Gorgias’s TikTok Shop integration offers a powerful solution for merchants by centralizing and automating customer support. Here’s what it can do:

  • Centralized support for high-volume inquiries: Gorgias allows businesses to manage inquiries from TikTok Shop, websites, and other channels all in one place. This centralized system ensures tickets are handled, and support agents can respond promptly, even during peak shopping seasons. No matter where customers are reaching out from, Gorgias streamlines the support process.
  • Automation for fast response times: In high-volume eCommerce, many inquiries are repetitive — customers ask about order status, shipping delays, or product availability. Gorgias features like Macros, Rules, and Ticket Fields let agents handle common questions efficiently with pre-populated details, automatically recurring actions, and easy-to-edit properties to reduce manual workload and ensure faster response times and happier customers.
  • Customer profiles at a glance for quick resolutions: During fast-paced sales seasons like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, getting the whole story as quickly as possible is essential. With Gorgias’s Customer Sidebar, support agents can view customer profiles and order information in one place to keep conversations going without asking for the same information over and over again.
  • Multimedia support for rich interactions: Customers on TikTok expect rich, engaging interactions, and Gorgias’s TikTok Shop integration allows support teams to communicate via text, images, or even videos. This support approach enhances the customer experience, enabling businesses to provide personalized, helpful responses that go beyond basic text-based customer service

Who benefits the most from AfterShip Feed and Gorgias for TikTok Shop?

Various industries can leverage AfterShip Feed and Gorgias to optimize their TikTok Shop operations, particularly those managing high volumes of SKUs, orders, and customer interactions. While these solutions can benefit any vertical, some categories particularly well suited for these technologies include:

  • Fashion: Fashion retailers often deal with a high number of SKUs due to various sizes, colors, and styles. AfterShip Feed simplifies SKU management, while Gorgias ensures efficient handling of customer inquiries related to returns, sizing, and order status.
  • Skincare and beauty: This sector frequently faces repetitive customer inquiries about product ingredients, usage, and availability. Gorgias’s automation tools allow support teams to manage these inquiries efficiently, while AfterShip Feed ensures accurate order fulfillment.
  • High-volume retailers: Retailers handling thousands of daily orders can significantly benefit from the seamless order management and automation provided by AfterShip Feed and Gorgias. These tools ensure that orders are processed quickly and customer inquiries are addressed swiftly, reducing friction in the buyer's journey.

Future-proof your high-volume operations with AfterShip and Gorgias

As TikTok Shop continues to grow as a sales channel for eCommerce businesses, high-volume sellers need practical solutions to manage the increased complexity. AfterShip and Gorgias offer a powerful combination to help retailers streamline operations, manage inventory and orders efficiently, and deliver outstanding customer support. 

AfterShip ensures fast, reliable shipping, while Gorgias handles returns and support efficiently. Together, these solutions help you keep customers happy, reduce returns, and provide stellar service — all of which boost your store rating. By integrating these solutions into your TikTok Shop, you can future-proof your operations, scale effortlessly, and capitalize on the tremendous growth potential that TikTok Shop offers. 

Want to learn more? Book a demo!