Context
An online retailer faced seasonal surges that regularly strained customer support operations. During peak events, response delays and inconsistent handling affected customer confidence and repeat purchase behavior.
Challenge
The operation needed to absorb high-contact periods without sacrificing service quality or over-escalating routine inquiries.
Primary constraints included:
- Backlog growth in order-status and shipping exception queues.
- Inconsistent handling logic for returns and refund scenarios.
- Limited supervisor bandwidth for real-time coaching.
- High variation in response quality between shifts.
Red Shore Solution
Red Shore Solutions delivered a peak-readiness support program:
- Segmented queues by intent type and urgency.
- Standardized playbooks for WISMO, returns, exchanges, and failed delivery events.
- Introduced rapid-shift huddles and intraday load balancing practices.
- Implemented QA sampling focused on top-volume contact reasons.
- Added targeted coaching cycles for high-impact interaction patterns.
Operational Model Improvements
A governance rhythm was established across pre-peak and in-peak phases:
- Weekly readiness checkpoints before campaign launches.
- Daily intraday backlog and SLA reviews during high-volume windows.
- Post-shift quality summaries with manager action tracking.
- Weekly corrective action planning based on recurring failure modes.
Outcomes
The client completed peak season with materially improved operating control:
- Order-status ticket backlog reduced by 41%.
- Average handle time reduced by 17%.
- CSAT increased by 11 points across chat and email.
The retailer adopted the same framework for subsequent promotional cycles and expanded it to social support channels.