5 tips for scalable customer service during the holiday season

The holidays are around the corner: scale up your customer service

The holidays are coming, which means you can expect a significant increase in traffic to your online store. More traffic brings more sales, but also—and perhaps more importantly—a sharp rise in the number of incoming customer inquiries. If you aren't prepared for this surge, you risk being overwhelmed by questions.

We explain why customer service is crucial for successful ecommerce and how you can approach it in a scalable way. Plus, we share 5 tips to get started right away.

Why is customer service essential for successful ecommerce?

The explosive growth of ecommerce in recent years has changed the way we shop online. Consumers have become increasingly accustomed to ordering online, a trend accelerated by the effects of the global pandemic. At the same time, ecommerce technology has improved tremendously.

However, this does not mean that ecommerce has completely replaced physical stores. In physical stores, customers can hold and try on products before making a purchase. Your online store, on the other hand, relies heavily on customer trust.

That is why excellent customer service is so important. It:

• increases sales
• builds customer loyalty and trust
• promotes customer retention and increases CLV (customer lifetime value)
• contributes to brand awareness and recognition
• reduces the number of returns, complaints, and negative reviews

Excellent customer service can make or break your online store and is essential for successfully growing your business. Ecommerce managers would therefore do well to invest in a strong customer service department.

The seasonal rush, however, can put a significant strain on your support team. The end of the year, in particular, is often a major challenge for customer service departments in ecommerce.

How do you provide an excellent customer experience during the holidays?

Keep the following in mind: during the holidays, competition between online stores is greater than ever. Advertising becomes more expensive, discounts become more extreme, and consumers are more critical than ever before.

But the reward for providing an excellent customer experience to all these potential new customers is well worth it. If you succeed in turning these new customers into loyal brand ambassadors, you are building a sustainable ecommerce business.

One way to ensure a first-class customer experience is by managing every possible customer touchpoint. Make sure you are available for contact:

• before the purchase
• during the purchasing process
• after the purchase

By being proactively available, you build trust and guide the customer experience, just as you would in a physical store. Also, keep customer preferences in mind: they want to reach you via the channel of their choice. Consider:

• email
• phone
• SMS
• live chat
• messaging apps (WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.)

Ensure your team is prepared and has processes in place for all these channels. With the following 5 tips, you can make your customer service scalable and efficient this holiday season.

5 tips to make customer service scalable during the holidays

1. Manage all your communication channels from one overview

If you don't have an overview of all communication channels, you run the risk of missing crucial questions. Especially if you run a busy store with multiple customer service agents, a central overview is essential.

With an all-in-one dashboard, you can achieve the following:

• Collaborate with colleagues to resolve tickets
• Reduce the average ticket handling time
• Provide a seamless customer experience, regardless of the channel used

Tools like Trengo allow you to centrally manage Messenger and WhatsApp messages, emails, and SMS messages.

2. Automate manual tasks with quick replies, auto-replies, rules, and chatbots

Frequently asked questions take up unnecessary time for your customer service team. Think of questions like:

• What is my order number?
• Where is my order?
• I have been waiting a long time for my order
• The product arrived damaged
• Where is my refund?

Automation can significantly reduce this workload. With tools like Trengo, you can set up quick replies and automated responses. Chatbots can serve as the first line of contact, allowing customer service agents to focus on more complex inquiries.

3. Offer self-service with a comprehensive help center

A help center is a valuable addition to your website, allowing customers to find answers to frequently asked questions themselves. Use insights from your customer service team to create relevant articles and consider a multilingual help center for an international audience.

4. Optimize and automate the returns process

Returns often cause extra pressure on customer service. By automating the returns process, you prevent many questions about returns and refunds. For example, the Returnista platform makes it possible to encourage exchanges, which drastically reduces questions about refunds. In addition, the platform provides proactive communication regarding the status of the return.

5. Provide proactive updates to prevent inquiries

Keep customers informed about the status of their return or exchange. This prevents unnecessary questions and increases customer trust. With Returnista's software, you can send customers real-time tracking updates, so you are always one step ahead.

Ready for the holidays with Returnista

With Returnista, you keep customers informed about their returns and exchanges, even during peak periods. Ready to take your customer service to the next level? Request a demo on our website.

‍