5 Tips to Manage Customer Service during the Holiday Season

Can you believe that we are halfway through 2023? Wasn’t it just New Year’s a couple of months back? Well, that’s how fast time flies. And, just like that, the holiday season will start in no time.

The holiday season is the perfect time to get your hands on cheap and discounted things, from gadgets to makeup to homeware, you’ll find all of it on sale.

That said, despite the holiday season being the best time of the year for most of us, it is a period of extreme stress for the customer service staff. They have tons of inquiries every day and difficult customers who are hell-bound on wanting the best deal possible.

In fact, it is also really stressful for internet providers, because since everyone is at home, there will be an additional load on their servers. But, if you are looking for a provider that offers 24/7 customer service even when it’s the holiday season, look no further than Xfinity Customer Service.

In this article, we will share customer service tips you can follow to manage things better this holiday season. Let’s begin!

Put Yourself in the Customer’s Shoes

Every business owner knows that if they want to achieve immense success, they need to think like their customers. But can putting yourself in the customer’s shoes really help you find serious flaws?

One way to put yourself in your customers’ shoes is to compile a visual narrative of their experiences with your business. This increases your ability to anticipate what your customer needs and wants. Customers, however, are almost always more informed than you are in this area.

It’s best to get ready for the holiday rush as soon as possible. Playing ‘customer’ in the morning is a great way to spend some time. Go online and ask yourself the sorts of questions that potential clients might have about your company, such as when the holiday sale ends or do members get any special discounts.

Prepare for Holiday Questions with an Automated System

This is where technology plays a big part. Most businesses have started using chatbots that are ready to serve their customers at all times, no matter what the time is.

When done right, chatbots can provide instantaneous responses to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) of your customers around the clock, every day of the year. Because, believe it or not, if customers aren’t given an exact delivery date, most of them will abandon their shopping carts altogether.

However, if the duration of delivery time is made explicit, online buyers are more likely to return to the store for future purchases. The chatbot should be able to guess what the customer is inquiring about and offer insightful information as well.

Consider Hiring Extra Staff

In the same way that builders build skyscrapers one brick at a time, your team must expand by adding more staff. Your customer support personnel need to be adaptable from the get-go in order to handle the slew of calls they’ll be receiving during the holiday rush.

Your customer service department will likely experience a spike in calls, emails, and chats during the holiday season. There may not be enough people on staff right now to handle all of these requests immediately.

As a result, a fantastic customer service strategy over the holidays is to hire temporary or seasonal workers to help carry the burden and work alongside your regular team. Keep backup staff on call in case some of you need to take time off. 

Provide Proactive Support on the Checkout Page

If you weren’t aware, the holiday season shopping cart tends to see the highest rates of shopping cart abandonment. However, if you want to counterattack this problem, you should create customized messages on the checkout page to preemptively address inquiries to help customers finish their purchases.

Customers that spend a considerable amount of time on the checkout page may, for instance, have concerns about your shipping policies or return procedures.

Sending a message with a link to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about purchases can help customers find the answers they need without having to send multiple messages to support.

Give Top Priority to Urgent Customer Requests

Almost every consumer who contacts your company for help expects you to prioritize their issue. In an ideal situation, you’d be able to answer each question as soon as it’s asked. Unfortunately, with everything else you have to do this holiday season, that’s just not feasible.

If your team has a method for prioritizing requests, they can focus on the most important ones instead of getting distracted by the others. Customers’ demands can be broken down into two categories: those that require immediate response and those that can wait until later.

In contrast to a customer’s request regarding potential future updates, a customer’s complaint about a defective product warrants your immediate attention.

When everyone on your team is on the same page about which tasks are most important, you’ll have a much easier time meeting your goals and keeping consumers satisfied.

All in All

Now, that wasn’t much rocket science, was it? We all know customer service is one the most demanding departments of any business, and the holiday season puts more strain on the staff.

We hope you will consider the tips shared above to make this holiday season a seamless experience for both your staff and customers. Good luck!