Ho Ho… hold on.
No, you didn’t miss anything.
Yes, you did just buy a pricey Halloween costume and watch the Great Pumpkin the other night. But that doesn’t change the fact that the next holiday season kicks off in just a few days. In fact, for many franchises, the festive shopping season is already in high gear.
And while the holidays are a joyous time of family, food, and of course, gift-giving – they also result in an influx of customers and a seasonal overflow of calls. Franchises that are unprepared to handle this seasonal call volume could end up disappointing their customers and hurting their bottom line.
Here are four tips to help you manage seasonal overflow during the upcoming holiday season:
- Make some lists and check them twice: The first step in managing seasonal call overflow? Get organized. Establish your company’s call volume goals and determine how many calls your team can realistically handle. Once you have a plan in place, be sure to communicate it to your team so everyone is on the same page. This helps to minimize confusion and ensures that your customers are getting the best possible service.
- Train your holiday helpers: The hectic nature of fielding overflow calls can cause even the most seasoned receptionist to become flustered. Be sure to train your staff on how to properly handle calls. Cover etiquette, how to handle customer complaints with patience and poise, and how to gently upsell products or services. Equip your team with the tools they require so you can rest assured they’ll be able to handle whatever comes their way.
- Take advantage of call forwarding. During periods of high call volumes, your business can forward calls from your main line to others within your franchise, to authorized employees’ cell phones, or to an answering service – ensuring that far fewer calls reach voicemail and that customers don’t feel ignored.
- DON’T hire temporary staff. Wait, what? You heard us correctly. Even when you’re feeling the pinch during peak times, hiring extra bodies is a temporary fix at best, and could go sideways after the hustle and bustle begin to settle. Instead, outsource your seasonal overflow to a quality telephone answering service to save time, money, and stress.
Focus Answering Service, for example, offers turnkey solutions that allow franchises to care for customers even after the entire team has gone home for the day.
Natural paraphrased scripting, developed with your franchise’s specific practices and protocols in mind, provides callers with a comfortable, conversational, and authentic customer experience with your brand.
Focus’ friendly, skilled, and knowledgeable agents work around the clock to treat your callers with the utmost care, meeting and exceeding your franchise’s already high standards, while freeing up your on-site staff to handle other important tasks.
The holiday season is a busy time for franchises. Managing seasonal overflow is essential for providing stellar customer service. Focus can help. Reach out to us today to learn more.