Do you know that Andy Williams song, it’s the most wonderful time of the year? Of course, we all know that most kids love the holiday season, but many adults don’t find it so wonderful. In particular, the shops are crowded and arranging delivery for online purchases can be difficult when so many courier companies are at the limit of what they can possibly deliver.

This time of year is full of stress for many customers so what can you do to ensure that even in a busy shopping period, full of sales and offers, you can continue to offer a great customer experience? This feature in Forbes by Christine M Riordan, Dean of Daniels College of Business in Denver, has a few good ideas where you can focus.

  1. Employee engagement: you might have great products, but if your employees are really not bothered because they are just waiting to go home then no service interactions will ever come across well. Engage your team and ensure they find it exciting to help the customers of your products – this is vital. Engaged employees deliver great service because they care.
  2. Authenticity should be a priority: at all levels you need to demonstrate that you care. Demonstrate that authenticity with small actions that reinforce your authenticity about caring. A good example is how positive it feels when checking into a hotel and the manager handing over their personal mobile phone number – most customers will never call the manager directly, but it demonstrates that the manager will be available if needed.
  3. Build positive relationships: remember that every interaction, whether it relates to sales or support, is building the present and future relationship. You should be aiming to build a multi-year relationship with customers, not just make a sale then forget them.
  4. Be willing to help: be genuinely willing to help the customer. Don’t stick to the supposed rules. Encourage your employees to do what it takes to help the customer even if it is not their direct day job or responsibility.
  5. Train yourself to care: help your team with training, especially in empathy. Think of the difference in attitude between a member of airline cabin crew presented with a problem caused by unruly children on a flight and a member of the team that can see the children are frightened of flying. Think how you can approach problems and support in a way that recognises that the problem and solution may not be obvious, but can become easier with empathy.

What is being suggested here are some great tips that can be applied at any time of the year, but by making these ideas fundamental to the service that is delivered, you can ensure that even when employees and customers are stressed and busy, these values will preserve the relationship and customer experience. What do you think is the secret weapon to deliver great CX this holiday season? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment here, or get in touch on LinkedIn.