Peak Season Checklist: How to Prepare Your Customer Service

Peak season can be a decisive moment for any online supermarket. November and December, driven by events like Black Friday, Christmas, and year-end shopping, bring a significant increase in sales—but also in customer expectations. Preparing your customer service for this demand is not optional: it’s a strategic necessity. This checklist will help you ensure a smooth, efficient operation aligned with your customers’ expectations.

Why Do Companies Fail During Peak Season?

During peak season, many companies experience an increase in operational complexity that directly affects customer experience. This isn’t limited to a single industry: from retail to services, logistics, and customer support, all face similar challenges when not properly prepared.

Some common causes of failure include:

  • Underestimating interaction volume

  • Lack of elasticity in technological infrastructure

  • Manual processes that don’t scale with volume

  • Lack of automation in responses and internal workflows

  • No real-time monitoring to detect bottlenecks

These weaknesses directly impact brand reputation and conversion potential. In highly competitive digital environments, it’s not enough to sell well—you must serve better than your competitors.

The Impact of Good Service in Critical Moments

According to PwC LATAM, 86% of consumers will abandon a brand after just two negative experiences. A proactive, efficient, and empathetic service experience can turn a logistical error into a loyalty opportunity. During peak season, customer service is the final link before losing or winning a customer for good.

Peak Season Customer Service Checklist

1. Real-time monitoring of queues and KPIs

Set up dashboards that show:

  • Average and maximum wait times

  • Service level (SL)

  • First Contact Resolution (FCR) rate

  • Interaction volume by channel

  • Automatic alerts when thresholds are exceeded

2. Crisis simulations and load testing

Anticipate scenarios such as:

  • A customer service channel outage

  • A viral campaign overwhelming support

  • Mass complaints due to logistics delays

  • Issues with ERP integrations or payment gateways

Run simulations to validate your team’s response time in critical situations.

3. Updated response templates

Prepare ready-to-use responses for:

  • Frequently asked questions about shipping and products

  • Promotion policies

  • Delays, cancellations, or out-of-stock products

  • Refund or return requests

  • Payment method questions or checkout issues

4. Redundant communication channels

Activate and optimize backup channels such as:

  • Web chat, email, WhatsApp, and social media

  • Emerging channels like Telegram or a mobile app

  • Self-service through clearly visible FAQ sections on your website

  • Publishing special schedules and conditions on social media

5. Fast and clear escalation of complex cases

Define:

  • When a case moves to level 2 or 3

  • Who handles it and with what priority

  • SLAs by incident type or customer segment (VIP, frequent, new)

  • Protocols for contacting logistics or payment teams

6. Bots updated with critical information

Make sure virtual assistants can answer:

  • Questions about schedules, availability, and promotions

  • Real-time order status

  • Clear paths to human support when needed

  • Common questions about payment methods and coupons

7. Technical backups and full IT support

Verify that your CX provider is ready to scale resources.
Maintain direct communication with support teams for key platforms (ERP, CRM, payment gateways).
Ensure redundancy in servers and digital channels.
Create a rapid-response protocol for system outages.

Recent studies indicate that support ticket volume can increase by up to 42% during peak season in e-commerce, testing the efficiency and scalability of customer service systems. Additionally, 74% of consumers expect companies to use technology to anticipate their needs, especially during high-demand periods.

In LATAM, expectations also rise: 63% of consumers say a poor support experience affects their repurchase decision. This highlights the importance of having a robust, scalable technological infrastructure with operational intelligence to monitor KPIs, automate responses, and scale complex cases without friction.

Implementing this checklist not only prepares your operation for success, but also positions you as a brand that responds, solves, and anticipates.

Good preparation prevents crises, but also boosts sales and builds a positive reputation. Peak season doesn’t forgive improvisation. Align your strategy with this checklist and take your customer service experience to the next level.

Implementing these recommendations can make the difference between surviving peak season or standing out as your customers’ favorite online supermarket.

Tools like Sagicc allow you to centralize channels, automate responses, scale operations, and monitor KPIs in real time, giving your team the technology they need to respond with agility, precision, and empathy during high-pressure moments.