Reduce customer service inquiries during holiday sales

It's no secret that year-end sales offer brands a real opportunity to increase sales and maximize revenue. This year, more than ever, customer retention will be a key issue. According to Harvard Business School, increasing customer retention by just 5% increases profits from 25% to 95%. So how do you do it?

According to Microsoft, 96% of consumers say that customer service is a key driver of loyalty. So, to keep them coming back after the holiday sales are over, brands need to offer fully available, unsaturated customer service on busy days. Yet these can put enormous pressure on support staff. To combat this, many retailers have adopted a new strategy.

Strengthen your customer service teams

The omnichannel strategy is a solution to the massive influx of customer inquiries. Using digital communication channels can take the pressure off customer service teams. And the benefits don't stop there! Adobe reports that companies that have adopted an omnichannel strategy see about a 10% annual growth in average order value and a 25% increase in conversion rate.

Proactive communication

To reduce customer service inquiries during holiday sales, retailers should first remove the need for them. By proactively communicating with customers, from payment to delivery, e-tailers provide customers with all the information they need. In effect, they are answering the customer's question before they have a chance to ask it.

With post-purchase communications, retailers can send personalized, dedicated and unique messages to keep their customers informed. To achieve this, brands need to review their buying journey to identify the milestones they need to communicate about. At what stage of the sales journey do customers receive the most calls? What are those calls about? What are the issues their customers are highlighting the most? By understanding this, e-tailers can provide a communication flow that is tailored to the needs of customers.

Once your touch points are secured, it's important to stay as informative as possible. Adding relevant details to each email will improve engagement rates and reduce customer service inquiries.

Follow-up page

Sending an order confirmation is considered standard procedure for most e-retailers. But, are they leveraging this point of contact with customers?

A tracking page is a personalized page that provides customers with real-time information about their order. Using it will help you reduce your customer service call rate, by providing the consumer with accurate information about their order, delivery... Customers can rest assured that any changes will be communicated to them proactively, so they don't feel the need to call.

Harnessing technology for better customer service

By proactively communicating with customers and giving them the information they need ahead of time, the rate of inquiries drops dramatically. This creates a positive experience and a sense of trust and a lasting relationship with the consumer.

In view of current events and the health context, end-of-year sales are set to be more demanding and digital than ever. What are the impacts on brands? Are you ready for this year-end peak?

Discover tips and best practices to take full advantage of these sales in our guide :