The Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) shopping frenzy brings immense business opportunities and presents significant challenges. Managing the surge in customer inquiries and ensuring exceptional service can be overwhelming for in-house teams.
The solution? It’s time to start outsourcing your customer support staff in preparation for BFCM. Let’s explore the strategic benefits of outsourcing BFCM customer support during such a high-demand season and highlight how it can enhance customer satisfaction, improve operational efficiency, and drive business growth.
Customer demand during BFCM only continues to rise
The BFCM shopping season has seen a meteoric rise in ticket volume in recent years, driven by factors such as:
- E-commerce growth: The increasing popularity of online shopping has made BFCM a prime opportunity for retailers to capitalize on consumer demand. With Black Friday 2023 logging in $9.8 billion and Cyber Monday raking in $12.4 billion, it’s safe to say that BFCM 2024 is looking to be a chaotic season once more.
- Promotional offers: Retailers offer significant discounts and deals during BFCM, attracting customers seeking the best bargains. Around 65% of shoppers shared that availability of coupons positively impact how they view a brand.
- Convenient shopping: Online shopping, coupled with mobile devices, has made shopping more accessible for consumers during BFCM.
- Changing consumer behavior: Consumers have become accustomed to shopping online and taking advantage of seasonal sales events.
As a result of these factors, the demand for products and services during BFCM has surged, putting immense pressure on retailers to meet customer expectations and maximize sales. Additionally, eCommerce businesses experience a significant increase in customer service tickets during major shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with data suggesting a 20% spike in ticket volume during these peak sales periods.
Customer support is a vital component of successful online businesses
Customer service builds trust, enhances customer experience, and protects brand reputation. By using customer service channels and effectively addressing customer inquiries and complaints, businesses can gather valuable feedback, increase conversions, and foster customer loyalty.
Updating customer service policies to prepare for the challenges of BFCM is crucial. Reviewing existing policies regarding shipping, returns, and SLAs ensures they meet customer expectations and align with increased inquiry volumes.
Investing in a dedicated BFCM customer support team or utilizing practical tools and strategies is essential for delivering exceptional customer service and driving long-term success.
However, there will be times when your business will need to start outsourcing customer support staff—especially during peak seasons like BFCM. Even though your customer support agents and service strategy is on point for the rest of the year, BFCM is a totally different beast.
You can base the decision to outsource customer support on several factors:
- Workload: Outsourcing can alleviate the burden if your in-house team struggles to handle the volume of customer inquiries or is experiencing burnout.
- Expertise: Outsourcing can fill the gap if your in-house team needs to gain the knowledge or language skills required to provide excellent customer service in specific regions or markets.
- Cost-effectiveness: Outsourcing can be cost-effective, especially for businesses that operate in multiple time zones or need to provide 24/7 support.
- Scalability: Outsourcing allows businesses to scale their customer support operations up or down as needed to meet demand.
- Focus on core competencies: Outsourcing BFCM customer support can free up internal resources to focus on core business activities.
It’s generally advisable to consider outsourcing customer support when:
- Your in-house team needs help to meet customer service standards.
- You must expand your customer support coverage to new markets or time zones.
- You want to reduce costs associated with hiring, training, and managing an in-house customer support team.
- You need access to specialized expertise or language skills that are unavailable in-house.
8 benefits of outsourcing BFCM customer support staff
Outsourcing customer support for the BFCM shopping and holiday season, can offer significant advantages for eCommerce businesses:
1. You can scale up or down as needed
One of the most significant benefits of outsourcing customer support during BFCM is the ability to quickly and flexibly scale operations to meet the surge in demand. Unlike hiring and training additional in-house staff, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, outsourcing allows businesses to:
- Rapidly increase staffing: Outsourced customer service teams can quickly mobilize additional agents to handle increased call volumes and chat inquiries.
- Flexible scaling: Scale up or down operations based on real-time demand fluctuations, ensuring optimal resource allocation. This means that you can scale up as needed to meet the insane demand of the BFCM season, then scale down after Q4.
2. Cost-effectiveness
Outsourcing customer support during BFCM and the holiday season can be more cost-effective than expanding your in-house team. Here’s why:
- Variable costs: In 2022 up to 2023, businesses spent more than $101 billion on training. Outsourcing allows you to pay for customer support services only when needed, avoiding the fixed costs of hiring and training additional staff.
- Reduced overhead: Outsourcing can help reduce overhead costs related to employee benefits, office space, and equipment.
- Risk mitigation: Outsourcing can help mitigate the risks of hiring and managing a sizable seasonal workforce.
3. Specialized expertise
Outsourced customer service reps and support providers often possess specialized expertise in handling high-volume customer inquiries and resolving complex issues, which can be invaluable during the BFCM shopping season.
- Dedicated teams: Many outsourced providers have teams specifically trained to handle the increased call volume and complex customer queries common during BFCM.
- Advanced technology: Outsourced providers often have access to state-of-the-art technology and tools to help agents handle customer inquiries efficiently and effectively.
- Experience and best practices: Outsourced providers have experience handling customer support during peak seasons and can apply best practices to ensure a smooth customer experience.
4. 24/7 support
If your current customer service team doesn’t operate 24/7 and it seems to be working well for you and your customers, consider BFCM a challenge. Because of the massive deals, online shoppers are usually up and about. Another key benefit of outsourcing customer support staff during BFCM is offering customers round-the-clock assistance. This ensures that customers can get help whenever needed, regardless of location or time zone.
- Global reach: Outsourced customer support providers often have teams located in different time zones, allowing them to provide continuous coverage.
- Improved customer experience: By offering 24/7 support, businesses can enhance customer satisfaction and increase the number of loyal customers.
- Increased sales: Customers receiving timely and effective support are likelier to purchase and recommend the business to others.
5. Focus on core competencies
Outsourcing customer support during BFCM can also help your company free up internal resources to focus on core business activities. Specifically for the BFCM season, here are some examples:
- Marketing and sales: Concentrate on marketing and sales initiatives to drive customer acquisition and increase revenue during this lucrative season.
- Inventory management: Optimize inventory levels and ensure efficient supply chain management. Make sure that orders are shipped out in a timely manner. BFCM is not just about getting online orders—it’s about delivering satisfaction to your customers.
- Strategic planning: Focus on long-term strategic planning and business development post-BFCM.
6. Improved customer experience and satisfaction
Outsourcing customer support during BFCM can significantly improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. Rewarding loyal customers with exclusive offers and discounts during BFCM is crucial to acknowledge their dedication and encourage repeat purchases. Here’s why:
- Specialized expertise: Outsourced and experienced agents can provide more specialized assistance, resolving customer inquiries efficiently and effectively.
- Consistent service: Outsourced providers can ensure consistent customer service quality, even during peak demand periods.
- Positive customer experiences: Satisfied customers are likelier to repeat purchases, recommend the business to others, and become loyal brand advocates.
7. Reduced internal stress
Outsourcing customer support during BFCM can alleviate the strain on your in-house team, reduce stress, and prevent burnout. Engaging repeat customers with exclusive offers and marketing tactics can also boost sales and enhance brand visibility through word-of-mouth recommendations.
- Reduced workload: By transferring customer support responsibilities to an outsourced provider, internal teams can focus on core business activities and avoid being overwhelmed by the increased workload.
- Enhanced morale: Reducing customer support burden can boost employee morale and job satisfaction during a very stressful season. Having extra people on board helps ease this burden.
8. Risk mitigation
And finally, outsourcing customer support can reduce the risks associated with hiring and managing a sizable seasonal workforce for BFCM as early as now.
- Compliance risks: Outsourced providers are typically experts in local labor laws and regulations, ensuring compliance and reducing the risk of penalties or legal issues.
- Talent acquisition challenges: Finding and hiring temporary staff for BFCM can be time-consuming and challenging. Outsourcing can streamline this process.
- Training costs: Outsourcing eliminates the need for extensive training and onboarding of temporary staff.
- Wage and benefits compliance: Outsourced providers ensure compliance with local wage and benefits laws.
Best practices when outsourcing customer service staff
Businesses can ensure a successful outsourcing experience during BFCM by being up to date following these best practices:
Plan and prepare way before the holiday season
- Anticipate demand: Accurately forecast the expected increase in customer inquiries and plan accordingly. Don’t wait until it’s already BFCM!
- Select a reliable partner: As early as now, choose an experienced and trusted outsourced customer support provider with a proven track record and expertise in handling high-volume customer interactions.
- Clear communication: Establish communication channels and expectations with the outsourced provider to ensure alignment and avoid misunderstandings.
- Knowledge transfer: Provide the outsourced provider with the necessary information, training materials, and access to your customer relationship management (CRM) system
Don’t overlook quality assurance
- Set performance metrics: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the outsourced provider’s performance, such as average response time, customer satisfaction ratings, and first-call resolution rates.
- Regular monitoring: Monitor the outsourced provider’s performance closely to ensure they meet your expectations.
- Feedback mechanisms: Implement feedback mechanisms to gather customer feedback and identify areas for improvement.
Plan your scalability and flexibility needs
- Plan for peak demand: Ensure that the outsourced provider can scale up their operations to meet the surge in demand during BFCM.
- Flexibility: Maintain flexibility in your outsourcing agreement to accommodate changes in demand or business needs.
Identify necessary integrations and collaboration efforts
- Technology integration: Ensure seamless integration between your internal and outsourced provider’s systems.
- Collaboration: Foster effective collaboration between your in-house team and the outsourced provider to ensure a smooth transition and effective communication.
- Leverage hybrid custom service: Combine traditional, human-based customer support channels with digital, self-service options, offering a multifaceted approach to assisting customers and allowing them to choose the method that best suits their needs and preferences.
Don’t wait—outsource customer support for BFCM as early as now!
By partnering with a reputable provider, businesses can efficiently scale operations to meet increased demand, reduce costs, access specialized expertise, provide 24/7 support, and alleviate internal stress. This allows companies to focus on core business activities while ensuring exceptional customer service and mitigating risks associated with managing a large seasonal workforce.
Also, remember to consider the different types of customer service teams and which would best suit your company’s needs. Contact LTVplus today and find the customer service staff you need to prepare for BFCM season.
