The holidays are almost here, which means that businesses need to prepare for high call volumes as soon as possible. Why? Because the holidays are associated with increased shopping, giving, and the logistical challenges associated with winter weather. With Deloitte anticipating that holiday shopping in 2025 will see an increase of 2.9-3.4%, now’s the time for businesses to take measures to ensure that they’re able to deliver superior service during times of high demand.
Whether you’re in retail, hospitality, or tech, here’s why anticipating high call volumes is better than reacting to them as they happen.
Avoid Gaps in Service Delivery
Don’t risk missing out on orders or being unable to assist with questions or returns. If your lines are overwhelmed, customers and donors might simply ring off without completing their request, and others might not get through at all. This can result in less-than-stellar customer experiences, or worse, lost sales and revenue. Anticipating times of high call volume and pre-emptively responding with additional capacity, routing, chatbot support, and analytics can help you avoid gaps in your service – and missed sales.
Take the Stress Off Your Team
The end-of-year season can be stressful for your team members. High purchasing volumes combined with high expectations and less experienced temp staff can place a huge amount of stress on a team that’s already juggling end-of-year duties. By anticipating high call volumes and partnering with an outsourced call center solution such as ACD Direct, you can quickly rise to the moment, redirecting low-priority calls away from your core staff members and towards trained, experienced reps.
Meet Your Internal Metrics
With 2025 showing relatively soft sales numbers, especially in specialty stores and furniture retailers, the holidays mark an opportunity for retail, e-commerce, and service businesses to finish out the year strong. By developing a plan to anticipate and respond to high call volumes, VPs of Customer Experience at both businesses and non-profits can better meet their objectives—boosting sales for businesses and strengthening donor relationships for non-profits—while also ensuring a positive experience through every interaction.
Get Prepared for 2026
Changes to the tax code in 2026 mean that many donors might be holding off until next year. Planting the seeds for giving now without an outbound campaign can help you hit the ground running in 2026 – when those donations start coming in. Additionally, other businesses can use the busy season to connect with new customers and build long-term relationships that continue into 2026 and beyond.
It’s Time to Get Ahead of High Call Volume Periods
Don’t let the holidays catch you off guard. If you’re a Director of Customer Support, a Sourcing Manager, or Director of Procurement, book a demo at ACD Direct today. We can walk you through the tailored experiences we offer for your organization’s specific use case, so that you can identify times of high volume and respond with a solution that works for your team and your bottom line.
