Partner Selection
We conduct a full needs assessment and connect retail brands with hand-selected, vetted contact center providers suited to their support channels, budget, culture, growth plans, and service expectations.
Retail customer expectations move fast across phone, email, chat, and social channels. The Connected Hive helps brands outsource call center operations, strengthen CX support, and find vetted BPO partners that fit their culture, volume, compliance needs, and budget—often reducing operating costs while improving responsiveness, scalability, and customer satisfaction.

Strategic retail call center outsourcing, CX consulting, partner selection, and technology guidance.
We conduct a full needs assessment and connect retail brands with hand-selected, vetted contact center providers suited to their support channels, budget, culture, growth plans, and service expectations.
Delegate customer interactions to specialized third-party providers for phone, email, chat, social media, customer care, and technical support while maintaining reliable service and reducing in-house operating burden.
Improve the retail customer journey with audits, cost-reduction analysis, AI assessments, vendor strategy, and practical recommendations that simplify complex contact center challenges.
Optimize retail support operations with AI, chatbots, IVR, workforce management, workforce optimization, CCaaS platforms, and automated communication tools that support stronger customer experiences.
Onshore retail support options offer cultural alignment, easier communication, and scheduling convenience for brands that prioritize close coordination and customer familiarity.
Nearshore and offshore contact center models help retail brands balance cost savings, talent availability, schedule coverage, and scalable support during busy sales periods.

We begin by reviewing your retail support volumes, channels, customer pain points, seasonality, brand standards, compliance needs, technology stack, and budget goals so the outsourcing strategy is grounded in real operational requirements.
Guidance trusted by major healthcare, financial services, government, and enterprise customer experience organizations.
The Connected Hive helps retail teams make confident outsourcing decisions with clarity.
Two decades of executive contact center experience guide every outsourcing recommendation.
Access established relationships with qualified BPO and contact center providers.
Holistic assessments align partner choices with brand, budget, culture, and growth goals.
Expertise includes HIPAA and PCI considerations for regulated customer interactions.
Experienced leadership for complex contact center decisions.

Founder and CEO
Tim Austrums is the Founder and CEO of The Connected Hive, bringing over twenty years of executive and leadership experience in the BPO and contact center industry. Based in Edina, MN, Tim has built a distinguished career working with leading organizations such as Humana, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Discover, Ameriprise, and government agencies including FEMA and the State of Louisiana. He specializes in healthcare member experience, contact center strategy, and negotiating multi-million dollar client and vendor relationships. A sharp strategist and skilled closer of $5–6 million dollar deals, Tim founded The Connected Hive to serve businesses with the personalized, expert guidance they need to navigate the complexities of the contact center and BPO landscape. His commitment to impeccability, transparency, and human connection drives every client engagement.
Retail customer service supports shoppers before, during, and after purchase. Agents answer product questions, help with orders, process returns and exchanges, resolve delivery issues, manage complaints, and protect the brand experience across phone, email, chat, and social channels. In an outsourced model, trained retail support teams follow your policies, tone, systems, and escalation rules.
Get clear answers before choosing your retail support partner.
Association supporting contact center excellence.
Customer care and CX industry affiliation.
Midwest contact center leadership involvement.
Tell us about your retail support volumes, channels, goals, and pain points. We’ll help identify the right outsourcing path and partner fit.
For immediate assistance, feel free to give us a direct call at +1 952-500-0806.
For immediate assistance, feel free to give us a direct call at +1 952-500-0806.