10 Customer service strategies for the holiday season

The holiday season is upon us! As the demand for festive gifts and seasonal cheer surges, it's essential to have the best customer service strategies to make your business shine.

In this article, we're unwrapping the top customer service strategies that’ll help your business sleigh the holiday season with ease. With these strategies, you can spread holiday joy to your customers with a warm and welcoming service.

From extended support hours to jolly chatbots, we've got you covered!

What is the importance of a great customer service strategy?

A great customer service strategy is like the North Star for your business, guiding it toward success. It's the warmth of the holiday season that makes customers feel heard, valued, and appreciated.

Not only does it keep your current customers coming back for more, but it also attracts new ones like a magnet. A fantastic customer service strategy isn't just about solving problems; it's about creating positive experiences and building lasting relationships.

So whether it's the holiday season or any time of year, investing in exceptional customer service strategies is the secret to making your business stand above the rest.

Customer Service Strategy #1: Extended Support Hours

Extended support hours during the holiday season are like giving your customers a 24/7 hotline to Santa's workshop. Like other customer service strategies, it's all about being there when they need you the most.

Imagine this: It's late at night, the holiday season is in full swing, and a customer has a question about their order. They don't want to wait till morning because the excitement can't wait! That's where extended support hours can swoop in to save the day.

So, whether it's the early birds or the night owls, you've got them all covered. With extended support hours, you're spreading holiday cheer and guaranteeing your customers know they can rely on you whenever they need help. It's a win-win for everyone!

You’ll also want to train your team with SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s Excellent Customer Service Through Communication course. This microlearning course takes less than 10 minutes to finish. Your team will also stay engaged with its mobile-first training model and gamified learning content.

Plus, this course is completely editable. You can customize it according to your team’s needs and even incorporate your unique branding with it. The best part is that you can do it all for free!

Sign up for SC Training (formerly EdApp) now and let your team enjoy the best customer service training just in time for the holiday season.

Customer Service Strategy #2: Multi-channel Support

Multichannel support is all about meeting your customers where they’re most comfortable. Your business will benefit from a combination of traditional phone calls, speedy live chat, friendly email exchanges, or even quick messages on social media.

Say your customer is wrapping gifts or decorating the tree, and a question pops into their mind. They don't have to put down the tinsel or pause the gift-wrapping marathon; they can just shoot you a message on social media and get a swift reply.

It's like having a holiday helper in their pocket! This multichannel customer support strategy makes sure that your customers have a stress-free, enjoyable shopping experience. They can reach out in any way they like, and you're there to make their holiday season merry and bright. 

Customer Service Strategy #3: Chatbots and AI

Taking advantage of chatbots and AI during the holiday season is like having Santa's little helpers on standby 24/7!

As customer service strategy examples, these smart bots are here to handle the quick and easy queries, so your customer service agents can focus on the more intricate concerns.

For example, if any customer wants to know when their order will arrive, they don’t want to wait for anyone in your customer service team to be available. A friendly chatbot can swoop in, check the order status, and deliver the info in a snap.

This leaves your support team free to work on complex questions and bring a smile to every customer's face. Chatbots and AI are like the efficient elves in your customer service workshop, guaranteeing that no request goes unanswered and every holiday wish is granted.

Customer Service Strategy #4: Proactive Communication

Proactive communication is all about keeping your customers in the loop and spreading the joy of updates. For example, sending out emails or custom SMS shipping notifications can help them know the status of their gift purchase.

This customer care strategy isn't just about order updates, though; you can also sprinkle a bit of holiday magic by sharing special offers and discounts that bring smiles to your customers' faces.

By staying connected, you can make your customers feel like VIP guests at your holiday party.

Customer Service Strategy #5: Complaint Resolution

Let's face it, even with all the holiday cheer, there’ll still be moments when something doesn't go quite right. Gifts may fail to arrive on time, and that can be truly frustrating for your customers. But that's where customer complaint resolution steps in.

When your customers reach out to your customer service team, a quick response and a sincere apology let them know that you’re truly willing to make things right.

Complaint resolution is one of the most complicated customer service strategies. But with good empathy and efficient problem-solving, your customers will not only be satisfied but also delighted.

So this holiday season, turn those frowns upside down and show your customers that even when things go wrong, you're here to make it right.

You can also train your team to handle complaints with SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s Customer Service: Handling Complaints course. This is especially important for small business customer service training.

Customer Service Strategy #6: Social Media Monitoring

People are tweeting, posting, and sharing their holiday experiences, whether it's singing your praises or expressing concerns. By keeping an eye on social media, you can catch those mentions, reviews, and even the occasional "uh-oh" moments in real-time.

Doing this also gives you the opportunity to respond promptly to those concerns, showing that you care. It's like giving your customers a warm, virtual hug during the holidays.

In this season of sharing and caring, don't just decorate the tree; decorate your social media with timely responses and friendly customer service scenarios. Engage actively using social media monitoring tools to stay connected with your customer's sentiment and needs.

Customer Service Strategy #7: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Updating and expanding your FAQs during the holidays creates a handy holiday survival guide for your customers. Shoppers racing to check everything off their holiday list often don't have time to wait for a response to their purchase queries, but hey, FAQs can have their back!

By keeping these frequently asked questions up-to-date and full of helpful info, you're giving your customers the gift of instant answers. This also gives them the key to a stress-free and merry holiday experience.

Customer Service Strategy #8: Quality Assurance (QA)

Quality assurance makes your brand unforgettable because it's all about consistency and excellence. By maintaining high service quality standards, you're making sure that each customer interaction is just as delightful as unwrapping a perfect gift.

It tells your customers, "We're here to make your holiday experience amazing every single time." Quality assurance isn't just about meeting expectations; it's about exceeding them and leaving your customers with that warm, fuzzy holiday feeling.

Let quality be your best friend this holiday season. It's the icing on the gingerbread house of customer satisfaction. 

Customer Service Strategy #9: Team Training

Team training equips your support squad with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive during the holiday season.

During this time of the year, your customers will have more unique questions. From gift suggestions to order status inquiries, your support team needs to be holiday experts.

By giving them specialized training, you're arming them with the tools they need to handle those special, holiday-related questions effectively. It gives them the power to sprinkle holiday magic into every customer interaction.

Customer Service Strategy #10: Post-Holiday Follow-Up

The post-holiday follow-up is like sending a heartfelt thank-you card after a wonderful holiday party; it shows appreciation and makes sure that everyone had a good time.

As the holiday season wraps up, you want to make sure that your customers are having a great time shopping with you. By reaching out to them, you're not just saying "thanks" but also checking in to see how their experience was.

It's like asking, "Did you enjoy the party? What could make it even better next time?" This feedback is golden because it helps you improve and keeps customers coming back for more.

In the spirit of gratitude and growth, don't forget to send that post-holiday thank-you note and keep the holiday spirit alive all year long!