6 Things To Do To Get Your CX Buttoned Up for BFCM

Hi Team,

Another week in paradise—Philly, am I right?

Busy times over here: wading through 150+ referrals from The Commission Board campaign, mapping out the 2025 game plan, and squeezing in those final brand campaigns before year-end. Oh, and I'm heading to Chicago this weekend for a wedding. (Congrats, Jess!)

This is my second BFCM not being on the brand side, but I remember the chaos like it was yesterday. That one little glitch that spirals into a CX nightmare, the never-ending flood of tickets, and those inevitable shipping delays and chargebacks.

Everyone’s talking about how to boost revenue this BFCM, but let’s get real: more sales often means more… everything else. 

So today,  let’s talk about handling the chaos that hopefully comes with that success. Let’s talk about dealing with the “good problems to have.”

I’ve put together six ways to set your CX team up for success this BFCM. Share this with your team, CX neighbor, coffee buddy—anyone who needs a game plan. 

This one’s essential.

Let’s dive in. 

This week’s newsie is brought to you by Chargeflow. 

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6 Things To Do To Get Your CX Buttoned Up for BFCM

1. Set Realistic Macros and Efficiency Expectations

I know this might sound spicy, but too many CX teams move freakishly slow. I’ve seen it firsthand in my audits. The best folks I’ve hired can easily handle 200-300 tickets a day—even I can keep up, and let’s just say my typing speed isn’t exactly record-breaking.

If your BPO thinks 10 tickets an hour is “fine” and your tickets aren’t crazy complex, there’s a problem. Sorry, not sorry. (Reach out to me, and I’ll gladly help you find a better one.)

Most brands get the same questions over and over:

• Where’s my order?

• What’s your return policy?

• My order arrived damaged.

• A basic product question.

These can—and should—be handled with macros. If you don’t have macros ready for these standard questions, you’re already setting yourself up for a bottleneck.

2. Bring in AI to Handle a Chunk of Tickets

Look, I used to be in the “watch and learn from others’ mistakes” camp with AI, letting others test the waters first. But here we are in 2024, and AI has gotten pretty solid. Depending on your ticket types, you can automate anywhere from 10% to 70% of them—if you’re open to it.

Sure, it won’t handle everything, but for those repetitive, straightforward inquiries, it can knock down your response times significantly. Just make sure the setup fits your needs, and remember that AI’s here to support, not replace, your CX team.

3. Sync Up Your Team on Priorities and Pace

Your CX team needs two speeds:

a. The methodical, thoughtful pace when things are calm
b. A maniacal, laser-focused speed when the inbox is blowing up

When ticket volume is low, it’s all about follow-ups, adding that personal touch, and showing some flair. But when BFCM hits and the inbox is flooded, it’s time to switch gears. 

Quick, concise responses are better than making customers wait a week for the perfect message.

Think of it this way: an 8/10 response in 30 minutes beats a flawless one after seven days.

4. Get Ahead of Chargebacks 

Chargebacks are a pain in the… well, you know. They’re inevitable, but you can be proactive. Tools like Chargeflow help you stay ahead by automating chargeback management, so you don’t have to get buried in disputes when you’d rather focus on other parts of CX.

Trust me, addressing chargebacks early saves you a lot of headaches—and money—down the line. Better to prevent a fire than put one out.

5. Scale Up for Same-Day Responses

Speed matters, especially for BFCM when tons of customers are buying from your brand for the first time. Getting back to them within minutes or hours (instead of days) can make or break their perception of your brand. If you need to scale up your CX team temporarily, do it.

Stock moves fast during BFCM. The last thing you want is for a customer to finally get a reply, only to find out the product they asked about is sold out. Same-day responses give your brand that “we’re on it” feel and help convert one-time buyers into legit loyal customers.

6. Take Care of the People Doing the Work

For the leaders reading this, remember: you’re asking your team to work when you’re sitting at Thanksgiving dinner or out shopping. BFCM isn’t exactly the most exciting weekend to work—it’s hectic, stressful, and can feel thankless. So, do what you can to make it better for them.

• Send them a gift card for coffee or lunch.

• Check in during the day. A quick “How’s it going?” can mean a lot.

• Be there in the weeds as much as you can. If they’re there, you should, too.

• Above all, be supportive. Let them know you see the hard work they’re putting in.

Empathy goes a long way, especially during times when CX can feel like a dizzying job. When your team knows you’ve got their back, they’ll go the extra mile.

One last thing before hacks and stacks:

I recently got to spend a few hours discussing the CX evolution with my favorite leaders. 

Join us for the premiere and sign up to win 1/4 coaching sessions with one of these legends.

On good deals:

1. For those excited about designer items or luxury goods, there’s almost always a better way to purchase than from a department store or directly from the brand. Quite often, buying these things from Europe will be less expensive, and you don’t pay customs upon entry to the US if items are under $800. You don’t need to go there; use a VPN. 😏 Also, check out Cettire and Farfetch. You are welcome.

Points & Miles:

1. I spoke briefly about how booking a flight via a connected airline is often less than directly via United or American. To learn more about alliances, look here. But if you really want to understand how to book a specific flight to get the best deal, check out the point.me, the greatest thing since sliced bread. Free access is available if you have a Bilt or Amex card.
   
   Next week, let’s chat about status, status matching, and more. 

That’s it for this week!

Any topics you'd like to see me cover in the future?

Just shoot me a DM or an email!

Cheers, 

Eli 💛

P.S. Looking for inspo on your next email/sms campaign?

I know you will love this.