Best Ways to Handle Customer Inquiries on Holidays in Ecommerce

After working for 8+ years in social media and having my fair share of holiday brand moments, here is a quick list of 5 tips that I implement to keep me sane and clients on top of their community management, CX, and more: 1. Social Media = Frontline Customer Service When customers have questions about deals, shipping, or issues, they head to your DMs before they’ll even think about emailing. That means your social team needs to be on it. Pro Tip:  I recommend hiring a few temporary CX agents or having folks from the broader marketing team kind of do a social shift to see what it’s like. Also, patience is key. You’ll be answering the same questions a lot. Be cool, and remember: just because you know the answers doesn’t mean your audience does. 2. Leverage The Tools You're Given: The holidays bring out the best and worst in people. Excitement over deals can turn into frustration over delays or checkout issues in seconds. Stay calm, empathetic, and proactive. Use tools like Instagram’s saved replies or shortcuts on your phone for: - Shipping delays or timelines - Out-of-stock updates - Where you ship (and where you don’t) - Escalating tricky order issues with a clear email or CX agent Having a customer service rep in your account who can handle order numbers directly? Game-changer. Your time is best spent tending to all the folks in your DM’s, not in Shopify trying to search e-mails, phone numbers, etc. 3. Respond and Fast: Every response you post is on display for everyone. Thoughtful, timely replies build credibility, while slow or dismissive ones can tank your brand’s reputation. I get it—it’s exhausting to keep up during the holidays. But trust me, answering quickly and honestly is worth it. (I’ve lived through customers tagging influencers and review pages to complain about delayed products, and it’s a nightmare you don’t want.) Pro Tip: Turn FAQs into content! Seeing the same question 50 times? Post a Story sequence or Reel. Have repeat issues with new orders? Make a “How-To” post if they don’t know how to set something up correctly. 4. Social Media Can Drive Fast Conversions: I’ll always tell you social shouldn’t be your number one sales channel, but during the holidays? It can pack a punch. People are ready to shop: every scroll is gift guides and sale announcements. Be prepared to: - Answer questions about stock ASAP (and add urgency when needed). - Work with your team to speed up shipping if possible if we know it’s a one-off here and there. Go the extra mile to make their holiday experience seamless. 5. Turn Challenges Into Wins: Mistakes happen—sites crash, items sell out, shipments get delayed. While you can’t control everything, you can control how your brand responds. Proactively addressing issues on social helps manage the narrative. Don’t wait for complaints to pile up—get ahead of them. #cpg #dtc #socialmedia #organicsocialmedia #communitymanagement #socialmediamarketing #socialmediamanager

🚦 Holiday CX isn’t a season, it’s a stress test. I learned that the hard way during my first peak at a contact center, when our phone queues hit triple digits before lunch and the break room looked like a triage unit.  Fast-forward to today, and the story hasn’t changed:  🛍️ US shoppers spent $960 Bn last holiday, and every swipe of the card became one more WISMO or return call.   • 40 % of agents’ time? “Where is my order?”   • 30 %? Cancels and returns.   • The rest? Firefighting while morale slides.  But here’s what has changed. Voice AI can now handle those scripted, repeat calls as naturally as a seasoned rep. Brands that switched last year saw:  • 35 % fewer calls hitting the queue (Forrester)   • Faster resolutions, happier customers   • Agents finally coaching, upselling, and building loyalty instead of reading tracking numbers aloud  Picture your holiday floor with:  ✅ AI greeting every WISMO caller, pulling tracking data instantly   ✅ Live agents are free to de-escalate the VIP who got the wrong size, or surprise and delight a loyal shopper   ✅ You focused on strategy, not shrinkage targets  The holidays are around the corner. Will your team just survive, or set new records?  #CX #retailcx #holidayreadiness #AI