Devoted to the call center industry, the agents on the phones, and their managers

Christmas is definitely a season when a call center gets more than a fair share of call types.  Situations are either interesting, funny, emotional, stressful, frustrating, and overrated.

Inquiries on Purchases & Deliveries
It’s gift giving season! Ordering online or through the phone is very convenient for a lot of people.  About 2-3 weeks before the big day, call volumes increase and agents usually anticipate the customer’s inquiry.  Veterans would breeze through each call, making it possible for more calls to be answered.  People will be calling in to check prices, availability of the product and delivery options.

Complaints & Favors
I’ve heard people cry and beg on the phones and tried convincing agents to bend the rules because it was the holidays.  Stories such as getting the gift on time because it was going to be the last time her dad was going to spend Christmas with the family; increasing credit limits and promise to pay a higher finance charge as long as it’s approved; asking for discounts or adding freebies to their orders.  Complaints are usually higher during the holiday season and the agents feel the stress due to high demands of the customer.

Rejection or Success: Telemarketing
I would say this is dependent on the product or service you are offering to your potential customer.  If it wasn’t something that a customer can purchase for someone else, you only expect more rejections.  This can be a tough time for telemarketers but some would say it’s one of their favorite seasons.   But, experience has taught me that it’s harder to get a hold of anyone in their homes as it gets closer to Christmas Day.

There are more but this will be the most common.  Believe it or not, we even receive a lot of crank calls – usually from people who are alone and would like to speak to a human being to get through the season.