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As we wave goodbye to July, we greet August with open arms! Despite only being halfway through Q3, we, like many other companies, are anxiously awaiting Q4. 

The holiday period brings a magical air of celebration, but the looming Black Friday ticket surge can quickly transform this magic into a constant, echoing alarm in your mind: “CODE RED, CODE RED.”

Don’t worry, you're not alone in this.

You’ve planned out your sales, stocked up on inventory, and anticipate a surge in tickets due to early holiday shoppers. 

What could go wrong?

But just anticipating and discussing a surge in tickets is not enough. A lack of efficient tools and systems can easily cause your customer service team to lag, leaving them helpless against the relentless surge of order inquiries, sizing requests, and returns.

In order to make this holiday season as stress-free as possible, it's time to strategize and prepare your brand's customer service team to handle these impending ticket spikes.

Let's delve a bit deeper into this! 

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Factors Causing a Surge in Customer Support Tickets

For E-Commerce brands, an increase in customer service tickets during the holiday season is expected – particularly if your brand is advertising attractive deals and discounts.

However, there can be additional reasons for this surge in customer service tickets:

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1. Breaking into new markets

New customers shopping in different time zones can cause unanticipated shifts in ticket volumes.

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2. Seasonal trends 

For example, swimsuit brands may see a surge as early as April or May, while a store focusing on winter outerwear may experience a rush in October and November.

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3. Technical issues

While we always hope for the best, technical glitches like network delays, website crashes, and general digital infrastructure issues can lead to a deluge of new customer support tickets. Whatever the cause of the ticket volume increase, it's imperative for your brand's success to stay ready for any possible scenario, with customer satisfaction being the primary focus.

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How To Tackle the Holiday Season Ticket Surge

With the festive season fast approaching, there's no better time than right now to design a proactive strategy to handle the potential rise in ticket volumes.

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1. Fortify your current team

During the peak season, your customer service team is at the frontline. To prevent agent burnout and overextension, consider implementing these techniques:

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• Offer basic customer service training to adjacent departments. This can provide extra hands to manage tickets and interact with customers during crisis periods. Prior to anticipated ticket surges, alert department heads about their team's potential involvement. 
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• Partner with a reliable Customer Service Management Agency like TalentPop to manage your customer service. TalentPop provides easy access to expert and experienced agents for busy seasons and offers scalable customer service solutions based on your needs.

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2. Regularly Refresh Your Knowledge Base

Consumers appreciate self-service options for order tracking and returns, with 35% considering a fully self-service customer care option as very important. Hence, avoid letting an outdated knowledge base contribute to your ticket volume.

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3. Ensure your FAQ page is accurate, clear, and up-to-date. 

Customers should not be left waiting on a customer service representative due to broken links, outdated information, or unclear content.

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4. Enhance Efficiency with Templates and Processes

During ticket surges, readily available reference material is invaluable. Pre-prepared templates for email, live chat, and phone support are beneficial resources, allowing your agents to replicate responses for similar queries and tailor them to individual customers and their specific issues.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are a game-changer for E-Commerce businesses, regardless of ticket volumes. SOPs for returns, refunds, and other issues clarify expectations for your team, ensure consistency, and guarantee each customer receives the same service level. 

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Are You Ready to Scale Your Customer Service Ahead of the Holiday Rush?

Ticket surges are unavoidable for any E-Commerce brand, but being well-prepared with effective systems, resources, and additional support can ensure your brand's success even under immense pressure.

Enter TalentPop, one of affable.ai’s valued partners that's transforming the customer service industry! As an e-commerce Customer Service Management Agency, TalentPop offers expert customer service staff that integrates seamlessly into your teams, even supporting your influencer marketing efforts!

TalentPop doesn't just fill a vacancy; they build dedicated teams that fit perfectly within your company. They manage these professionals on your behalf, relieving you of the hassle that comes with scaling up. 

And the best part is, their services are month-to-month and easily scalable! So whether you need someone to join your team long-term, or just need some extra support around the busy season, TalentPop has you covered. Full-time or part-time, they can find the perfect fit for your needs.

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About affable.ai:

affable.ai is the fastest growing influencer marketing platform catering to D2C business, e-commerce brands, and influencer agencies. The platform helps plan and manage end-to-end influencer campaigns, from influencer search to product seeding and impact measurement. 

Since we’re constantly at the forefront of providing the best solutions for our clients, we have partnered with TalentPop to streamline your customer service solutions this holiday season! Businesses joining TalentPop through this partnership will enjoy a generous 50% off their onboarding fee. Let’s upgrade your e-commerce operations with TalentPop. 

And if you’re struggling to strategize your holiday marketing campaigns, here’s our elaborate guide for you! 

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