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How to avoid customer service chaos at peak

by: Anthony Williams

1 year ago

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6 min read

Peak season is upon us, always a hugely challenging time for retailers. While shoppers show no sign of giving up on Christmas, the tight economic conditions mean spending will be reduced and retailers need to be at the top of their game to get their share this year.

Shoppers will be looking for great prices, brilliant deals AND make no mistake, a great shopping experience whether in store or online. This puts pressure on your customer services team – your front-line troops who will be dealing with a constant barrage of queries. Do you know how you plan to support them?

It’s very easy to get overwhelmed during this time and chaotic business practices can lead to bad customer experiences and poor reviews. Peak season is a golden opportunity to meet new customers who will stay with you for the coming year and beyond, so don’t risk throwing it all away.

Smooth systems, great communication and a strategy for dealing with the inevitable hitches are key. Some of the top irritations for customer include; lack of communication, inaction, lack of empathy, dismissing complaints, being passed from pillar to post, and delays.

Do you have a strategy for staying on top of the challenge?

We’ve worked at the heart of the retail business for 30+ years and have in depth experience of the issues you face. We’d love to share our thoughts with you. Our advice is;

Have the right fulfilment systems in place so you avoid overwhelm at peak season.
Have systems that shows clear order tracking internally to answer “where is my order” effortlessly.
Have a plan to fix problems quickly when problems occur.
Maximise productivity by making the most of the team you have – it can be a challenge to recruit and train new staff at peak.

How do you do this? Optimising the pick-pack-ship process with a smart digital order management/warehouse management system will give you the power to meet order fulfilment targets, boost efficiency and minimise mistakes.

That’s why we created Modulus. Our years of experience responding to surges in demand in both online and bricks and mortar retail means we’ve been able to design a system around your needs throughout the year. So now you can digitally;

Ensure you have enough product to meet demand
Track and trace orders for total visibility.
Give customer service teams the power to identify and solve problems efficiently themselves without bothering the ops team each time.
Take remedial action to rectify threats to your delivery promises – e.g., switch carriers

Takeaway Tips

Here’s a summary of some pointers for dealing with peak season surges;

Get peak season buying trend information so you can prepare for changes in shopper behaviour. Our blog Are You Peak Season Ready? looks at the latest industry data on shopper intent this year.
Anticipate the surge – utilise intelligent data from your digital OMS from previous seasons to flag areas vulnerable to issues.
Because manual systems cost you time and effort – get digital, automate as much as you can and keep digital records of every transaction and customer touch.
Ensure you have sufficient support power – extra team members can be a big help at peak times, IF you have time to hire and train. But with tight margins and reduced customer spend you may prefer to think about a digital system which will allow you to do more at peak with the same number of staff?

Utilize Digital Technology

Implementing a total order management/warehouse management system like Modulus can help you manage your orders and inventory more efficiently at peak times of the year – then utilise the data you’ve gathered to glean insights into customer behaviour, sales trends, and inventory levels for future years. Reducing manual processes with automation can increase efficiency during peak seasons and help you control costs in an economically difficult period.

The WMS element will optimize warehouse operations by managing inventory, organizing ~~storage~~ bin locations, and tracking the movement of goods within the warehouse and between them allowing you to successfully navigate the ups and downs of seasonal demand.

Conclusion

By understanding the factors driving seasonal fluctuations and blending operations and technology, businesses can capture revenue and customer goodwill opportunities during peak periods. This is crucial for businesses to maintain profitability and customer satisfaction year-round.

If you would like to share your issues with us and find out more about how Modulus can help you get peak season ready, then we are always happy to have a chat. Find us here!

Author: Anthony Williams

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