BFCM CX Surge Coverage & Macros

Context

• DTC brand with rapid Q4 growth; marketing drove 4-7x message volume spikes.
• Mixed macros and stale knowledge increased handle time and DSAT during promos.
• Coverage windows misaligned to arrival curves; limited surge buffer.

Approach

• Coverage grid sized to forecast error; surge buffers with notice terms.
• Macro/knowledge refresh and promo playbooks; variant QA defect classes.
• Channel routing: chat-first for presales, email for post-order exceptions.
• Daily calibration during peak; WBR dashboards for response/resolve.

Promo Playbooks

• Promo macro pack (shipping cutoffs, promos, returns window, bundle rules).
• Exception handling trees for WISMO/WISMR, address changes, split shipments.
• CS social care guidelines and escalation matrix.
• Post-peak unwind: backlog burn-down lanes and aged-message priorities.

Measured Results

• First response < 10m for chat/email during BFCM window.
• Voice ASA < 60s with callback suppression for known issues.
• CSAT +8 pts; DSAT drivers reduced (policy clarity, speed).
• Agent ramp time via refreshed macros and examples.

Lessons Learned

• Promo-specific defect classes make QA actionable.
• Forecast error bands are essential to sizing surge buffers.
• Macro examples (good/better/best) reduce variability quickly.
• Unwind playbook prevents long-tail backlog drag.