E-commerce VA

Screening notes

Experience

4 years as an e-commerce VA, supporting two US brands simultaneously for the last 2.5 years — a home goods Shopify store doing around $120K a month and a smaller Amazon FBA brand. On the Shopify side I do everything: listing new products (full data entry, SEO-optimised copy, variant setup), processing orders and managing fulfilment exceptions, handling customer messages via Gorgias (60–80 tickets a week), and running the weekly inventory count against the 3PL dashboard. I flagged three potential stockout situations before they happened last year by checking the coverage calculation weekly — the owner told me they would have been blind to two of them without me checking. On Amazon I manage FBA listings and handle cases with Seller Support.

Tools

Shopify, Gorgias, Google Sheets (inventory tracking and weekly ops report), ShipBob dashboard, Amazon Seller Central, Canva for product image editing and infographics

Scenario answer

Asked: A customer leaves a 1-star review saying their order arrived with the wrong item, and you can see three other orders from the same batch that might have the same problem. The store owner is travelling and unreachable until tomorrow. Walk through what you do right now.

When I see a 1-star review about a wrong item and three other potentially affected orders from the same batch, I do not wait for the owner to get back. First, I pull all four orders from Shopify and confirm which SKU was shipped versus what was ordered. If the system shows the wrong SKU was fulfilled, I mark those orders in a tracking sheet immediately. For the customer who left the review, I respond to the review publicly within the hour: 'We are so sorry about this. This is not the standard you deserve from us. We have sent you a direct message to make this right immediately.' Then I message them directly through the platform: I apologise specifically, confirm I am sending the correct item today with expedited shipping at no charge, and give them the option to keep the wrong item or return it free. I do not ask them to update the review — that comes across as transactional and often backfires. For the other three orders — I do not know yet if they received the wrong item, so I message all three proactively: 'We noticed a fulfillment issue with a batch of recent orders. Can you confirm you received [correct item] in your order? If anything is off, we want to make it right before you have to reach out to us.' Proactive is always better than reactive. What I handle vs. what goes to the owner: I handle all the customer communication and the replacement shipments — those are within the normal return/replacement authority I have been given. I cannot reverse a large credit or issue a refund over a threshold without the owner's approval. I document everything in a Notion page — all four orders, what I confirmed, what I sent — and I send that to the owner as a message summary so they wake up tomorrow with full context and no fires to put out.

Work sample

Asked: Pick any e-commerce platform you've used. Describe your process for listing a new product from scratch — photos, copy, pricing, variants, SEO — and the one check you'd run after it goes live.

LISTING A NEW PRODUCT FROM SCRATCH — my process on Shopify PRODUCT: A kitchen silicone utensil set (new SKU, 5 variants by colour) BEFORE UPLOADING 1. Confirm all product info from the supplier: exact dimensions, materials, care instructions, country of manufacture. Missing this is how you end up with wrong specs on the page and a return two weeks later. 2. Check competitor listings for the same product on Amazon and Shopify to understand how it is being positioned and what reviews flag as problems — this shapes the copy. IMAGES 3. Upload in this order: hero shot (white background, product centred), lifestyle shot, detail shot, infographic with key specs. Shopify compresses images on upload but I always optimise to under 500KB first using Squoosh to protect page load speed. ALT text on every image: descriptive, includes the key phrase ('silicone kitchen utensil set 5-piece BPA-free'), not stuffed. COPY 4. Title: [Brand] [Product Name] — [Key Differentiator] | [Size/Material hint]. Not keyword-stuffed, readable to a human first. 5. Description: bullet points leading with the benefit, not the feature. 'Heat-resistant to 450°F' not 'Made of premium silicone.' First three bullets are the most important — on mobile those are what shows above the fold. 6. SEO fields: meta title and description are different from the product title and description — meta description is 155 characters maximum, written as a human would read it in a search result. VARIANTS 7. Each colour variant gets its own images — not just a recolour. If the black set does not have its own photo, buyers assume the one on the page is the only option. 8. SKU codes from the supplier, not invented ones — they need to match the PO and the fulfilment system or you create a reconciliation headache immediately. THE ONE CHECK AFTER GOING LIVE Buy the product myself on the store (or have the owner confirm a test checkout) to verify the variant selector works correctly, the right images display for each variant, and the shipping calculator produces a real number. Every listing I have put live that had a bug had the bug at the variant level, not in the main product fields.

Availability

Full-time, 9am–6pm US Eastern (9pm–6am PHT in summer, 10pm–7am in winter). Available in two weeks.

Screening notes

Experience

2 years as a Shopify VA for a US beauty brand (skincare and haircare). My daily work is processing orders, updating product listings, handling customer emails through Freshdesk, and keeping the inventory spreadsheet current. I manage about 40 to 60 customer messages a week. I also help with promotional setup — I configure discount codes and sale prices when the owner provides the brief. I have not yet run an inventory reporting workflow independently; my owner sends me the data and I update the tracking sheet, so my inventory work is more execution than analysis.

Tools

Shopify, Freshdesk, Google Sheets, Canva (basic image editing for product banners)

Scenario answer

Asked: A customer leaves a 1-star review saying their order arrived with the wrong item, and you can see three other orders from the same batch that might have the same problem. The store owner is travelling and unreachable until tomorrow. Walk through what you do right now.

When I see a 1-star review about a wrong item and three other orders from the same batch, I would first check all four orders in Shopify to confirm what was actually shipped versus what was ordered. If the system confirms a fulfillment error, I would document the four orders — order numbers, what was ordered, what was shipped — in a message to the owner so they have full information. For the customer who left the review, I would respond to the review to acknowledge the problem and say we are addressing it, then reach out directly to arrange a replacement and apologise. I would send the correct item with expedited shipping and give them the option to return the wrong item. For the other three orders I would send them a proactive message: something like 'We noticed a potential issue with a recent batch of orders and we want to make sure yours was correct. Can you confirm you received [product name]? If anything is off, please let us know and we will fix it right away.' I would update the owner by email with what I found and what actions I took, even while they are travelling. I would not approve refunds above my normal authority or make any changes to the store without their go-ahead — but I would handle all the customer communication myself, since that is within my normal responsibilities. I would also note the batch in question for the owner to investigate with the fulfillment team when they are back.

Work sample

Asked: Pick any e-commerce platform you've used. Describe your process for listing a new product from scratch — photos, copy, pricing, variants, SEO — and the one check you'd run after it goes live.

LISTING A NEW PRODUCT ON SHOPIFY — my process STEPS I FOLLOW: 1. Gather the product information first: name, description, variants (sizes, colours), price, weight and dimensions (for shipping), and the supplier's product images. If the images are not good quality, I note this for the owner before uploading — bad images cause returns. 2. Create the product in Shopify with the correct title format: Brand + Product Name + Key Feature. I keep it clear and readable, not stuffed with keywords. 3. Write the product description: I lead with the key benefit of the product, then cover the main features using bullet points for easy scanning. I include care or usage instructions if relevant and materials/specifications at the bottom. 4. Upload the images in order: hero image first, then lifestyle photos, then detail shots. I add alt text to each image using the product name and a brief description. 5. Set up the variants — each size or colour as a separate variant with its own SKU and price if different. I make sure the correct image is assigned to each variant so buyers see the right colour when they select it. 6. Fill in the SEO title and meta description based on the product name and main benefit. I keep the meta description under 160 characters. 7. Set the product to 'Active' once everything is reviewed. THE ONE CHECK AFTER GOING LIVE: I click through the product page on the live store to make sure all images load correctly, the variants display properly, and the product can be added to the cart without errors.

Availability

Full-time, 9pm–6am PHT (9am–6pm US Eastern; I move an hour later in November). One week's notice.

Screening notes

Experience

1 year as an e-commerce assistant for a local Philippine Shopify store that also sells on Lazada and Shopee. I handle order processing, respond to customer messages, and update product listings when the prices or stock levels change. I have also helped set up a few new products from scratch when we launched a new category. Most of my experience is with local Philippine e-commerce platforms but I understand that Shopify for a US client works similarly. I am hardworking, eager to learn, and I pick up new tools quickly.

Tools

Shopify (basic), Lazada Seller Center, Shopee Seller Center, Facebook Messenger for customer support

Scenario answer

Asked: A customer leaves a 1-star review saying their order arrived with the wrong item, and you can see three other orders from the same batch that might have the same problem. The store owner is travelling and unreachable until tomorrow. Walk through what you do right now.

If I see a 1-star review about the wrong item and I notice three other orders from the same batch, I would first take screenshots and document everything — the review, the order details, which items were shipped — so I have a clear record. Then I would reply to the 1-star review apologising and saying we are addressing the problem immediately. I would message all four customers to apologise and ask them to confirm what they received. For the customer who left the review, I would offer to send the correct item and arrange the return of the wrong one. I would message the store owner right away explaining what happened, what I found in the orders, and what I have already done. Even if they are travelling, I want them to know as soon as possible because this could affect the store's reputation. I would ask the owner what they want me to do for the other three orders before I offer them replacements, since sending out replacements might have a cost impact that the owner needs to approve first. I would keep a record of everything I did and the outcomes for each customer.

Work sample

Asked: Pick any e-commerce platform you've used. Describe your process for listing a new product from scratch — photos, copy, pricing, variants, SEO — and the one check you'd run after it goes live.

LISTING A NEW PRODUCT ON SHOPIFY Here is how I would list a new product from scratch on Shopify: 1. First I would gather all the product information from the supplier or owner: the product name, description, photos, price, variants (sizes, colours), weight, and dimensions. 2. In Shopify I would go to Products > Add product and fill in the title, description, and price. For the description I would write clear, readable copy that explains what the product is and why a buyer would want it. 3. I would upload the product photos and make sure the main photo is the clearest, most attractive image. 4. I would set up the variants — if the product comes in different sizes or colours, I would add each one as a variant with the correct price and SKU. 5. I would fill in the shipping information (weight and dimensions) so the shipping calculator works correctly at checkout. 6. I would add basic SEO information: the product title as the SEO title, and a short description in the meta description field. 7. I would set the product status to Active when everything is ready and do a final check to make sure all the information looks correct. The one check I would run after going live is to view the product page as a customer to make sure everything looks right and the buy button works.

Availability

Full-time, 8pm–5am PHT (8am–5pm US Eastern in summer, 7am–4pm in winter). Available immediately.