The ONE CX Tip You Will Need

Hi Team,

Mid-November temp check—how are we feeling??

Sincerely hope the vibes are strong and the coffee is still hot. If you’re reading this, take a deep breath, hold it for 5 at the top, and then breathe out to release any lingering stress that’s not helping you on this fine Thursday.

On my end, I’ve been prepping for an offsite next week and trying to get ahead on 2025 planning, all while quietly sulking about the clock change and the early darkness.

I had two MentorPass calls last weekend, and both folks asked me a similar question—one that I imagine a lot of you have been thinking about as we head into the busy season, but more importantly, into a whole new year:

How should we be thinking about forecasting when it comes to CX?

No better time to tackle this topic—so here goes.

The water’s warm; let’s dive in.

This week’s newsie is brought to you by Siena AI!

This week, I wanted to spotlight Siena AI, the Empathic Autonomous AI Agent built for commerce. With 2025 around the corner, I thought it might be worth sharing more about them and ways they could make your life so much easier in the next year.

Here are 3 things that make Siena stand out:

• Branded AI Agents: Siena was the first platform to introduce AI Personas that speak your brand’s unique voice and style. They go beyond just “Friendly” or “Professional”—you can have an AI that’s witty and fun on Instagram, and another that keeps it professional in emails. It’s customer service as a medium for connection, not just a utility.

• Advanced Modularity And Customization: Siena lets you plug in any third-party app, create custom actions, and run different strategies on multiple channels. Brands can set AI goals like sending replacements or editing subscriptions, and Siena autonomously handles all the steps. It’s like having a super-agent that reasons through complex tasks, pulling data from systems, asking clarifying questions, and updating records all in real-time. Siena does what was once far beyond AI’s reach.

• No Platform Lock-In: Just like your team members, Siena goes where you need it—no CRM lock-in. Siena integrates seamlessly with your systems, so you’re not tied down by one platform. It’s AI that’s as flexible as you need it to be.

Some recent cool reviews on the success stories:

• MUD/WTR: “What stood out with Siena is that we're in control of everything. We can determine the tone of voice, and give her her own name and persona to reflect our brand personality and values. Our CSAT score went from floating around a 4.5, to now every week being consistently at 4.8 and above.”

— Sara Colon, Customer Support Manager

• Prose: "The quality of response that Siena comes up with is phenomenal. We've even taken inspiration from her responses and added them to our existing customer-facing comms."

— Jessica Weiss, CX Lead Product Partner, Prose

• Simple Modern: Siena responds to 52% of our customer interactions while getting rated as well as human agents. Siena is industry leading and constantly getting better.We’re believers in the vision of Lisa Popovici and Andrei Negrau.

Siena is running an end-of-year Get AI Ready for 2025 campaign, which offers a full AI CX implementation strategy + 50% off your first year if you partner up by the end of 2024.

Also, they are offering my readers 3-months for free and access to their Certification Program. Just hit up their team and drop my name, Eli Weiss. 

Let's Talk About CX Forecasting:

Look, I get it—forecasting isn’t the sexiest topic in CX. But you know what’s even less exciting? Scrambling to find three more agents two weeks before Black Friday because, “Wow, who could’ve seen this coming?” 

Spoiler alert: we all saw it coming.

Forecasting for CX is more than just about filling in numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s about keeping your team sane, your customers happy, and avoiding that mad dash to patch up last-minute gaps. 

Here’s how to set up your CX forecast like a pro and actually get ahead of the chaos.

Start with the Numbers That Actually Matter:

The biggest mistake I see is brands obsess over numbers that look impressive in a PowerPoint deck but don’t help with real forecasting. Let’s talk about what you actually need to track:

• Tickets Per Order (TPO): This is your north star. If you’re averaging 0.2 tickets per order now, It’s probably going to stay around there during peak, too. So start here and forecast accordingly.

• Response Time Windows: Not just the average time—because, let’s be honest, averages can lie. Track what percentage of tickets you’re resolving within 2 hours, 24 hours, etc. You need to know if you can handle those busy days without letting your speed fall off a cliff.

• True Resolution Time: Look beyond the first response. The “We got your message!” email doesn’t count as real support. How long does it take, start to finish, to actually close the ticket? 

The “Oh Crap” Factor:

One thing I learned the hard way at Jones Road was to always build in what I like to call the “Oh Crap” Factor. If this ever becomes as legendary as Murphy’s Law, here’s how the definition would go:

“Oh Crap” Factor: Take whatever you think you’ll need and add 20%. Why? Because:

• The product launch that was supposed to go smoothly? It won’t.

• The promo that marketing swore would be “super simple”? Yeah, EEK.

• That website update that the dev team promised “wouldn’t affect anything”? You guessed it.

Stay prepped for what’s coming because it almost always does show up.  

Understanding Seasonal Patterns:

Nothing grinds my gears more than treating every spike like a surprise. “Oh wow, who knew we’d get more tickets after Black Friday?” Uh, everyone. Everyone knew. So, let’s make this less painful:

• Look at last year’s tickets two weeks before and two weeks after any major sales.

• Check your busiest hours (spoiler: usually 10 am-2 pm ET) and staff accordingly.

• Don’t ignore that post-sale support window. The sale ends, but support doesn’t. Often, the busiest time is right after.

Pro Tip: If you’re using a BPO, lock in extra headcount now for key periods. There’s nothing worse than scrambling to get agents when every other brand is doing the same.

Real Talk About AI and Automation:

AI has transformed CX, especially for managing consistent volumes and giving teams more time to focus on complex cases. During high-volume seasons, like the holidays, a smart AI setup—like what Siena brings to the table—can handle a substantial portion of tickets, transactions and keep response times competitive.

Peak periods often come with unique, more complex inquiries that can benefit from a bit of human finesse. 

The way I see it, AI is there to take on the bulk of the load efficiently, letting your team step in where a personal touch makes all the difference. It’s about balance: let AI tackle the high-frequency tickets while your CX team handles the more nuanced, high-value interactions.

When AI and human power come together, you get the best of both worlds with a CX operation that’s as smooth as it is scalable.

Here’s a fun and super helpful ROI calculator to see what AI can do for you. 

Stop Trying to Hit Impossible Targets:

I’ve audited dozens of brands, and for some reason, there’s an obsession with hitting metrics that are overkill or impossible because someone said it on a podcast. 

• 5-minute response time? Sounds nice, but it very likely might be overkill for your brand.

• 100% CSAT? Literally impossible unless you’re bribing customers (please don’t).

• Some tickets should take longer because they actually need real problem-solving.

Focus on what matters to your customers. Maybe they care more about accuracy than speed. Maybe they want details over brevity. Know your base, and adjust accordingly.

The Money Part:

Nobody likes discussing the budget side, but here’s the truth: good CX costs money. And bad CX costs more. So when you’re forecasting your needs, make sure you factor in:

• Training time: Dropping new teammates into the holiday madness without prep? Not a sound strategy.

• Tools and tech: Your team needs more than just positive vibes to succeed.

• Overtime and holiday pay: Because if your team’s stepping up, they deserve it.

Build in Flexibility:

The best forecast in the world won’t save you if your team can’t adjust when things go sideways. You need a setup that can flex up and down based on what’s actually happening in the moment. This means:

• Having a bench of part-time agents ready to jump in.

• Cross-training team members from other departments (yes, even ops and growth team can help with tickets).

• Setting up escalation paths for when things get wild.

The Bottom Line:

Forecasting isn’t about getting it perfect—it’s about being prepared enough to handle whatever comes without burning out your team or letting your customers down. Remember, you can have the best AI, the fanciest tools, and the most detailed forecasts, but if you don’t have a well-supported, happy team ready to handle the unexpected, none of it matters.

Quick Bonus Tip: Here’s a simple formula I swear by:

(Last year’s holiday ticket volume × your YoY growth) + 20% “Oh Crap” factor = Your minimum staffing need

Trust me on the 20%. It’s saved my a$$ more times than I can count.

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.