Let’s not kid ourselves, we all know very well that for most entrepreneurs Christmas is far from being a holiday of peace, but on the contrary it is a very hectic period. The peak of the season may show that you have more competitors than you thought, the cost of advertising is higher, but at the same time all campaigns are significantly more effective.
How do you remember to prepare and make the most of Christmas?
On the one hand there is an increase in orders, which logically brings with it higher sales, but on the other hand it also means more potential problems related to returns, claims and a pile of never-ending queries.
Prepare for your world to shrink in the coming weeks to dealing with claims for goods purchased on the e-shop. On dealing with cancellations within 14 days without giving a reason. If you’re offering gifts as a nice treat and a thank you for the order, you probably won’t like it when the customer returns the goods but no longer thinks it would be appropriate to return even that small treat. How are you going to deal with this? Are you clear on that? Communicate kindly and assertively and trust that friendly assertive behaviour will impress the customer.
It’s also a good idea not to forget situations where customers are chasing last-minute gifts and come up with ingenious solutions. To make sure the goods actually arrive on time, they order the same product from multiple retailers, but only take delivery of the one that arrives first. Prepare for this situation and lay out a scenario in advance of how you will handle it.
Shipping companies and their handling of packages is a topic that could go on for hours and hours. If a customer receives a damaged package, you will most likely be the one they are angry with. Defend yourself. Be prepared. Do everything you can to ensure your customer’s satisfaction.
And above all, beware – Christmas doesn’t end on Christmas Day. Or at least not for you. There will be post-Christmas sales, complaints (yes, complaints again)…
Try to keep your head held high and act fairly at all times so that you don’t unnecessarily damage your reputation with negative reviews that customers will write with far more gusto than praise. Remember that only a handful of users will praise you out loud, but negative reviews spread at lightning speed.
If you are unsure and need help with processes or communication strategy, contact us, we can help!