GlobalBX

After a long weekend of eating turkey leftovers and battling unruly crowds at shopping centers, Americans look forward to returning to work so they can spend time behind their computers, scoring online deals during Cyber Monday.

In 2011, Americans spent $1.25 billion dollars on Cyber Monday, setting the record for the heaviest online sales in one day.  This year, there are indications that the number could top $1.5 billion.  The competition will be stiff.  Both online and brick-and-mortar retailers will pull out all the stops to capture a share of the post-pumpkin pie buying frenzy.  Consumer expectations will be high, and customer service needs will be equally high.  Is your company ready for the Cyber Monday onslaught?

There are several ways retailers can deliver quality customer service on Cyber Monday.  First, make sure your customers can reach you with their questions.  Did you know that most retailers take an average of 14 hours to respond to customer service emails?  Customers lack the patience to wait for 14 hours with the flurry of purchasing activity on Cyber Monday.  They will find another retailer who will if you haven’t responded in a timely manner.  So, give your customers options for quick communication whether it’s through live chat, social media, phone hotlines, or by assigning an employee to focus on email responses that day.

Also, make sure your site is fully functional and ready for increased traffic loads.  Nothing is more frustrating for a customer than a website that doesn’t load quickly or contains broken links.  Prevent shopping cart abandonment by fully testing your site before Cyber Monday arrives to ensure your customers can complete their purchases easily and quickly.

Finally, check that your site is fully functional on mobile and smartphones.  Amazingly, there are 30 million more smartphone users than at this time last year.  “Showrooming” is an increasingly popular behavior among consumers who use their smartphones to research and compare prices and products while they’re inside a brick-and-mortar store.  Capture those shoppers by making your website mobile friendly and easy to find on search engines.

A customer service survey is a tool that will help you determine the effectiveness of your Cyber Monday customer service preparations.  You will be able to refine your practices by analyzing your strengths and weaknesses this holiday season.  Then, you can re-survey periodically to see how well your improvement initiatives are meeting your customers’ expectations.