Preparing for Peak Shipping Season: Customer Service and Support

by EasyPost

As peak shipping season approaches, ecommerce businesses are preparing for an influx of orders. That increased demand is great for your business, and it comes with the need for additional customer support. Preparing your customer service and support teams for the rush of peak shipping season can go a long way in making your business's busiest time of year a success.

Hire additional staff if necessary

During peak season, be sure to staff your customer service and support teams to meet demand appropriately. This may mean hiring additional staff to help increase order volume and customer inquiries.

Don't wait until the last minute to hire seasonal staff. The sooner you can bring on additional help, the better. That way, they have time to undergo proper training and familiarize themselves with your company's products and services before the holiday rush hits.

If you don't have the internal resources to handle demand, you may want to look into outsourcing customer support to a third-party provider. Whichever route you choose, ensure your customer service and support teams are prepared for the influx of holiday traffic.

Train staff on company policies and procedures

It's always important to keep your customer service and support staff up to date on company policies and procedures, but it's especially crucial during peak shipping season.

With the increased volume of orders and customer inquiries, your team will need to be able to handle any situation that comes their way. Thorough training on policies and procedures will help them be better prepared to handle customer inquiries and requests during peak season.

If you have new policies or procedures for the holiday season, properly train employees on how to enforce them. It's also a good idea to review customer service scripts with the team to prepare everyone for possible customer interactions.

Finally, make sure your team is aware of the company's shipping and return policies. Many of their customer interactions during peak season will involve questions regarding these issues, so it's important that everyone is prepared to answer them correctly.

Give staff effective tools and resources

One of the best ways to prepare your customer service and support staff for peak season is to give them effective tools and resources. With the right tools in place, they'll be better equipped to handle the increased volume of customer calls and questions.

Start by ensuring your team has access to tools they might need to do their jobs, such as an up-to-date customer database, an order management system, a live chat software, and a call center system. These tools will help them quickly and easily look up order information when they need access and support customers efficiently.

Additionally, ensure your staff has the resources they need to manage the holiday rush. This includes product details, company policies, and shipping procedures. By giving your team the right tools and resources, you can help them better prepare to manage peak season successfully.

Have a plan for addressing customer concerns

No matter how well you prepare, there's always a chance that something will go wrong during peak shipping season. That's why it's important to have a plan to address customer concerns.

Start by creating a list of common customer concerns. This could include late deliveries, damaged goods, incorrect orders, or other problems. Next, create a plan for addressing each of these concerns. For example, you could offer a refund, expedite a new shipment, or issue a store credit. Once your plans are in place, make sure your team is aware and able to implement the new procedures.

Stay organized and keep communication lines open

Staying organized and keeping communication lines open across customer service and support departments are two of the most important things you can do to prepare for peak season.

By staying organized, you can help ensure that orders are fulfilled on time and those customer inquiries are handled promptly. Schedule your team and inform them of their roles and responsibilities during their shifts to stay organized.

It's also important to keep communication lines open between you and your team. This way, you can quickly and easily resolve any issues that may arise. Be sure to provide your team with your preferred methods of communication and encourage them to reach out if they have any questions or concerns.

Simplify your customer service with EasyPost

EasyPost offers a suite of shipping APIs that simplifies customer service and support for businesses of all sizes. With address verification, real-time tracking, and shipping insurance, representatives will spend more time on high-priority issues that arise.

Address verification ensures that customers enter their correct shipping information, which can help reduce the number of undeliverable orders. Real-time tracking provides customers with up-to-date information on the status of their shipment, which can reduce the number of calls and emails regarding the status of orders. Shipping insurance protects businesses against lost, damaged, or stolen shipments, which can simplify the customer service process with related issues.

Take steps to ensure your peak season runs smoothly by stepping up your shipping logistics and ensuring your customer service and support departments are prepared for peak season. EasyPost's shipping solutions will help your business streamline, automate, and gain end-to-end control of your shipping processes, enabling your team to stay focused on the most important issues.

If you're interested in learning about all the ways EasyPost can simplify your customer service and shipping logistic processes, sign up for free on our website and schedule an appointment with one of our shipping experts.