Batten down the hatches… It’s coming.
The never-ending ringing in your ears (literally), the repetitive sludge through waves of WISMO calls and return requests, the black cloud of customer (and employee) frustration that no amount of plucky holiday spirit has a prayer of calming.
If you’re in customer service, you know exactly what I’m talking about. And it’s on your doorstep.
PEAK SEASON. IT’S NO JOKE.
Captain Obvious here – but the time to prepare is now. Because it takes more than grit to deal with the sky-high call volume, stressed out customers and agents, and the huge expectation on ROI.
Lucky for you, we read your wish-list and gift-wrapped the Top 13 companies that’ll help you get (and stay) ahead of the curve.
Voice AI & Voice
Flip
Ok, it may sound selfish to be mentioning ourselves first thing, but here’s the absolute truth: Our customers have had the greatest outcomes during peak season.
Value for peak season: Average handle time decreased, time to resolutions decreased, improvement of CSAT and NPS scores, Call volume decreased, hold time decreased, increase in subscription saves, order cancellations decreased, reduction of operational costs while streamlining efficiency with agents.
Notable mentions: Replicant, ada.cx, Liveperson Voice
Aircall
Aircall offers an easily integrated phone line support system for businesses, emphasizing that brands without phone support may be perceived as less transparent.
Value for Peak Season: Ensuring transparent communication and trust with customers, particularly important during the high-demand holiday season.
Notable mentions: RingCentral, Nextiva, 8×8, Talkdesk, Five9, Vonage, Dialpad, Grasshopper
Chatbots
Siena.ai
This autonomous chat platform is designed for commerce that combines the best of human empathy and intelligent automation to transform the way you operate and engage with customers.
Value for Peak Season: Improving response times, efficiency, and personalization in customer service. Especially helpful in providing an empathetic approach to AI solutions at scale.
Notable mentions: Zowie, Thankful, Linc
Subscription Management & Loyalty
Ordergroove
Ordergroove enables brands and retailers to launch and manage subscription programs, recurring revenue models, and other relationship-oriented commerce experiences. They provide a robust platform that integrates with existing eCommerce systems, allowing businesses to offer flexible subscription options and loyalty programs to their customers.
Value for Peak Season: The challenge of retaining customers amid increased competition becomes much harder during this season. Ordergroove’s subscription management capabilities allow businesses to create personalized and convenient shopping experiences, promoting customer retention and loyalty. Encouraging repeat purchases through subscription models means businesses can stabilize revenue streams and build long-term relationships, even during this especially volatile time of year.
Yotpo
Yotpo focuses on creating seamless loyalty and referral programs to foster customer relationships and build brand loyalty.
Value for Peak Season: Enhancing customer retention and encouraging repeat purchases through targeted loyalty initiatives.
Loyalty Notable Mentions: Epsilon, Bazaarvoice, Growave, Smile.io
Subscription Management Notable Mentions: Shopify, Recharge, Chargebee, Subbly, Podia, Paddle, Pabbly Subscriptions
BPO
TTEC
TTEC is known for its end-to-end customer engagement services. They provide customer experience outsourcing with a focus on technology-driven solutions and human understanding.
Value for Peak Season: TTEC’s technology-driven customer support can handle increased customer inquiries, providing consistent and efficient service. Their data-driven insights also allow for continuous optimization during these peak periods.
PartnerHero
PartnerHero offers outsourcing solutions tailored to various business functions, from customer service to back-office tasks. Their adaptable and human-centric approach ensures alignment with brand values.
Value for Peak Season: The flexibility in service offering allows eCommerce businesses to scale customer support and operational tasks seamlessly during the high-demand holiday season, maintaining brand consistency.
Simplr
Simplr offers a human-first, machine-enabled customer service platform that scales rapidly. By leveraging AI and a network of on-demand customer service specialists, they provide 24/7 support.
Value for Peak Season: Simplr’s ability to provide immediate scale-up of customer service without long-term commitments makes it ideal this time of year. Their 24/7 support ensures that customers always have access to assistance, leading to enhanced satisfaction and loyalty.
Notable mentions: LTVplus, Hire Horatio, HiOperator, OP360, Talentpop, Boldr, AwesomeOS
Email & SMS
Sendlane
Sendlane offers email & SMS marketing solutions, focusing on targeted messaging and campaigns.
Value for Peak Season: Enhancing direct customer engagement and driving sales through personalized SMS marketing and pro-active support providing shipping information, order status, and more.
Notable mentions: Attentive, Twillio, Kalviyo, Omnisend
Website Optimization
Justuno
Justuno offers website optimization tools such as pop-ups, banners, and AI-driven visitor segmentation to convert visitors into customers.
Value for Peak Season: Increasing conversion rates, optimizing user experience, and maximizing ROI on marketing efforts during high traffic periods.
Notable Mentions: EngageBay, Wish Pond, Lucky Orange, ProTexting, Obviyo (formerly HiConversion), Nosto, VWO, LimeSpot
Shipping & Tracking
Route
Route offers shipping and tracking solutions, focusing on visibility, accuracy, and efficiency in order fulfillment.
Value for Peak Season: Ensuring timely deliveries, minimizing shipping errors, and enhancing customer trust through reliable tracking.
Order Management
Loop Returns
Loop Returns provides solutions for managing product returns and exchanges.
Value for Peak Season: Streamlining the returns process, enhancing customer satisfaction, and reducing the costs associated with returns and cancellations.
Notable mentions: Shippo, Aftership, Narvar, parcelLab
Manufacturing & Inventory Management
Sourcify
They specialize in manufacturing and inventory management, possibly offering solutions for sourcing, production tracking, and inventory optimization.
Value for Peak Season: Streamlining inventory and manufacturing processes, reducing lead times, and ensuring product availability during peak demand.
Notable mentions: Veeqo, Zoho, Tickspot, Inventory Source, Sprocket Express, Shipwire, Quickbooks Commerce (formerly TradeGecko), Wave, Shipping Easy
That’s a whole lot of support where and when you need it most. And, fun fact: Flip’s automation plays nice with all of these fantastic tech solutions.
Here’s hoping this list is one of more useful gifts you receive this year. For more great info, join us for our event – Chestnuts Need Not Roast: How To Save Your Stack & Your Agents From Burning Out This Peak Season. Register here.
