Five Tips to Leverage Black Friday Like a Boss

Black Friday is approaching faster than a turkey coma, and there’s no shortage of advice for retailers on how to up their customer service games. We combed through the tips to find those that apply to call centers in order to offer these top five:

Think Fast
According to John Tschohl, customer service guru and founder and president of the Service Quality Institute, Black Friday shoppers put a premium on fast service. “Every single person out shopping on Black Friday wants to get the job done as soon and as fast as they can,” he writes in Customer Service Manager. Call centers should work with marketing departments to understand this year’s deals and anticipate questions (such as shipping rates and return policies) in order to have answers at the ready.

More than Phones
Bigcommerce reminds us that Black Friday is not the time to ignore omni-channel communication. Consider this:  According to Forrester’s December 2015 “Customer Lifecycle Survey,” for the second year in a row, respondents reported using Web or mobile self-service more than speaking with agents over the phone. Web self-service use increased from 67 percent in 2012 to 76 percent in 2014. “Not all online shoppers are alike. And, when it comes to customer service, this could not be more true,” writes Megan Conley, “While each buyer expects exceptional service, they may have their own preference in how they get this help.”

Social Support
Bricks-and-mortar customers – especially those obsessed with keeping their following updated 24/7 – are connecting digitally when they visit clothing retailers like #BrooksBrothers and #ExpressLife, as well as restaurants and a slew of other stores. While that’s all fine and good, Forbes contributor Blake Morgan asks, “Do you have a task-force that’s ready to engage with those customers? Customers will be surprised when they see your brand actually cares about their experience and responds back to them on various social media sites.”

Create Fans
Leverage your exceptional customer service experiences by making loyal fans who will talk about you and, ultimately purchase more from you. Jeff Sheehan writes in IBM Think Marketing, “Once the customer has bought, continue to nurture the relationship. Make sure that you capture their email address, if possible, when they purchase something and reach out to them post-sale to thank them for their purchase and include subsequent offers that might be of interest.”

Dig into the Data
You already know the time between your typical first-time customer’s initial and second purchases, but Stuart Anderson with Spark Response suggests comparing those trends with the customers whose first purchase from you was on Black Friday. “For those customers who have not reordered in the typical timeline, one option is to gain some valuable insight into the reasons why and prompt a further purchase.” Being able to understand these trends requires investment in big data, which can deliver significant growth over time.

For more information about how your call center can provide exceptional customer service all year long, or how you can leverage call center data to connect with customers, contact Allen Kruse or Christa Heibel at CHCG.