Sell More During Holiday Season with On-Demand Solutions

Time for a Seasonal-sales-and-service Gut Check

Two words rev up retailers: Holiday sales. With them come year-end pressure to make year-long numbers.

As a retailer, you know it too well:

• Shoppers crushed, rushed and irascible.
• Workers charged up—and worn down.
• Consumers, in line and online, waiting and holding.

The drama of it all—in-store, online and mobile—compressed into only days and weeks.

As a retailer, you rationalize today: “It’s only June. Still got time.”

Think so? Hope so?

Better pray so because of:

• INCREASED DEMAND – “In 2018, holiday shopping e-commerce is projected to increase by 15.3 percent compared to the previous year.”

Question: Do you have enough self-service chatbots and well-trained customer agents on hand to handle the increase?

• STIFFER COMPETITION – “Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%, a Rare Low, as Job Market Becomes More Competitive” reports The New York Times last month.

Question: Can you hire and retain quality customer service agents—with ready access to more reps for the holidays?

• EXPECTED EXPERIENCES – “Retailers must be able to assist customers before, during and after they enter a store.”

Question: Are your online to mobile to in-store experiences seamless—be they email, digital, agent or in person?

Point is: The holidays shouldn’t be retail hell. Rather, they should be the proof point of great customer service and sales.

To achieve such acclaim requires year-round focus and resources by:

• Recruiting the right retail customer reps, matching agent skills to buyer personas and expectations.
• Educating them in your operations to ensure seamless customer experiences that earn repeat business.
• Predictive planning that handles everyday business, seasonal spikes and long-range projects.