Black Friday happens to be the biggest shopping holiday, meaning more calls streaming in. The sales volumes soar high and the marketing trends always see an upsurge.
For this reason, most contact centers require extra help from cloud call center software like Call Center Studio. Such systems help handle this spike in calls in the most efficient way. Its specialized tools and strategic planning ensure no more missed orders or angry customers.
This post is a gem of tips to help your call center meet this crazy demand. But first, why is Black Friday such a hit?
Why is Black Friday So Demanding for Call Centers?
Black Friday seems to be the holiday when people shop the most.
The trend is such a sensation that people sleep queuing outside stores just for crazy discounts. The discounts are always perplexing, some reaching a whopping 50% or less.
And the sales?
In 2023, online retail sales went up 6.3%. In-store sales went up by 2.2%. These numbers are bound to rise in 2024.
So, are you ready for this upsurge? The next section covers how you can hack it.
How Can Call Centers Prepare for Black Friday?
The first step is simple; understand the demand. Usually, people will shop for clothes, followed by electronics. And this is for both genders, by the way. The following bulk buys are for health items, beauty products, toys, household appliances, and more.
The second important step is to set attainable goals based on the demand. Some steps towards Black Friday call center preparation are to:
Use History as a Guiding Light
Since we are anticipating 2024’s Black Friday craze, start by checking past trends. This means going back at least five years. This info will help you prepare best to accommodate the growing craze.
Get Software that Works for You
In a world with over a million software solutions, all promising success, who do you trust? Even though we cannot speak for everyone, we can vouch for our own.
The Call Center Studio cloud-based call center software.
This creation offers scalability, attracting both big and small contact centers. The next offering is flexibility—multiple genres across varied locations and time zones.
If you find software that offers this, verify it’s up to date to manage a high volume of calls.
Educate Your People
Imagine a caller reaching out to an agent, and they have no product knowledge. This could be devastating and it will lose you a client. Suppose this client takes to social media to air their dissatisfaction, it also lowers brand perception. Not to mention, brand loyalty.
So, to completely avoid this, educate your staff. Everyone on your team must go through refresher training. If you can, specify it for such high-demand shopping holidays. This might look like faster call handling times using snappy scripts. It might also mean more training in redirecting callers to knowledge bases linked to the systems for faster resolutions.
In short, everyone must be ready.
Which Tools Are Must-Haves for Black Friday Call Center Operations?
After preparation comes implementations. And what better way to do so than to use these tools for managing Black Friday calls;
IVR and Call Routing Systems
IVR or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system and routing solutions are like traffic police officers. Their role is to point callers toward the best route, in this case, the most knowledgeable agent. The idea is to reduce call times and ensure all calls coming in are all catered to.
Automated Solutions—AI Chatbots & Virtual Assistants
One agent can only attend to so much. They are human, and they have limits. But you can work around this using AI-powered tools to manage Black Friday calls. Here, we are speaking of everything customer service—FAQ questions, chatbots, and more.
This reduces your human agents’ duties. It ensures they can take up the more complex issues like personalization of orders.
Real-Time Analytics and Monitoring
Do you want to see how much you are making during Black Friday?
Real-time solutions are it.
These tools keep an eye on the rising sales, track call volumes, wait times, and everything in between. They also help you access customer satisfaction tangibly. With real-time analytics, you move quickly, making adjustments as you go. Black Friday is a fast-paced holiday, only lasting a day or so, this is essential.
How Can Call Centers Improve Their Efficiency During Black Friday?
Essential tips for Black Friday call center success start with providing excellent customer service. Once you hack customer satisfaction, the following tips help;
Schedule Smart
Having agents on a working schedule as per consumer demands is smart. Due to the specificity of this holiday, set it up to fit the peak times. This might mean that some agents work beyond their usual working slots. If you must, hire extra help to ensure seamless service.
Manage Queues
The same way airports direct people to specific lines have the same approach. If clients are calling for electronic orders, queue them to a qualified electronic agent. The same goes for jewelry, toys, pets, and any other in-demand item.
Optimize Self-Service
If a caller can make orders without human interaction, the better. You hack this using self-service tools like automated answers, FAQs, or a support portal. And don’t just have them in place, guide consumers there.
This empowers a caller to use them. You’ll be surprised to find out that most clients will choose to handle little problems themselves. In turn, it cuts down on the number of calls.
Wrapping Up: Your Black Friday Call Center Success with Call Center Studio
To get it right; prepare, implement, and optimize. With the right resources and support, Black Friday business becomes a breeze. So, contact us at Call Center Studio for state-of-the-art cloud call center software. This software streamlines everything, and you can get to the front seat by giving us a call or scheduling a demo.
