What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Prepare customer service for Black Friday by forecasting demand across the whole holiday season, turning that forecast into staffed channel coverage, and equipping agents with current product, promotion, shipping, and returns information. Then agree on escalation routes with fulfillment and technical teams, prepare customer communications in advance, and measure results against your own non-peak baseline. There is no universal agent-to-order ratio: your own contact history, channel mix, and operating capacity should drive the plan.
Plan for the full holiday contact curve, not just Black Friday
Black Friday and Cyber Monday can trigger a surge, but support demand may remain elevated after the promotion ends. Shopify’s holiday guidance reports an average 79% spike in support tickets in the first week of December following BFCM promotions, attributing the figure to Influx. Shopify also describes above-average activity during much of December and into early January. The 79% figure is a reported average—not a forecast for every retailer—and the article does not state its original year or sample details. Use it as a reminder to plan beyond the sale weekend, not as a staffing multiplier for your store. Shopify’s holiday customer-service guidance
Start with your own records. Review support contacts by day, hour, channel, contact reason, and resolution path. Compare year-over-year patterns where records allow, and overlay them with the promotion calendar, sales and order outlook, shipping cutoffs, fulfillment capacity, inventory constraints, policy changes, and planned support hours. Shopify specifically recommends reviewing daily and year-over-year ticket trends and hourly requests per channel.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Do not convert order volume into a staffing ratio without evidence from your business. A retailer whose contacts are concentrated in order-status questions has different coverage needs from one expecting product advice, payment problems, or complex returns. A published average cannot substitute for those differences.
#1 Best Overall
- Digital Stereo Sound: Fine-tuned drivers provide enhanced digital audio for music, calls, meetings and more
- Rotating Noise Canceling Mic: Minimizes unwanted background noise for clear conversations; the rotating boom arm can be tucked out of the way when you’re not using it
- Handy In-line Controls: Simple in-line controls on the headset cable let you adjust the volume or mute calls without disruption
- Plug-and-Play USB Computer Headset: Simply plug the USB-A connector into your computer and you’re ready to talk or listen without the need to install software
- Padded Comfort: Comfortable headphones with adjustable headband features swivel-mounted, leatherette ear cushions for hours of comfort and is easy to clean
Turn the forecast into shifts, queue ownership, and backup
Translate expected hourly demand into named coverage. For each channel or queue, decide who is on duty, when coverage begins and ends, who takes over, and who can provide backup if volume spikes or someone is absent. Make the plan specific enough that agents know where to work and who can authorize a handoff.
- Assign responsibility by channel, time period, issue type, product expertise, or language where those divisions reflect your actual demand.
- Set a threshold or clear decision owner for borrowing capacity across queues; do not leave agents to guess whether another queue is safe to interrupt.
- Identify backup coverage for peak hours, breaks, absence, and unexpected surges, including who monitors phone or voicemail if those channels are in use.
- Share the schedule and escalation contacts with internal staff and any third-party support team before the promotion starts.
Shopify’s guidance gives examples of assigning agents to specific ticket periods and using backups for phone and voicemail work. It also describes routing by product expertise or language for retailers with broad product ranges or global audiences. These are adaptable practices, not prescribed staffing formulas. Shopify’s holiday customer-service guidance
Choose channels the team can reliably cover
Base channel decisions on customer demand and preference, available hours, the response expectations you can meet, and agent capacity and proficiency. A channel that customers can reach but no one monitors creates a service gap. Publish operating hours and response expectations where customers will see them, and define how an issue moves to another team or channel when it cannot be resolved in the first contact.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsRank #2
- LED DIGITAL DISPLAY & 120H LONG STANDBY TIME : The G7 Wireless Bluetooth Headset comes with a smart LED display that shows the charging status of the earphones and the power of the case. 120 hours of standby time and 72 hours of music playback/talking time with the charging case
- NOISE COOLING HEADSET WITH MIC : UPGRADE G7 WIRELESS HEADSET with noise cancellation microphone that eliminates up to 99.98% of ambient noise, whether you are in a busy central area or on a truck, callers can seamlessly communicate with you like face-to-face, making it the ultimate choice for remote workers
- MUTE DESIGN : COTOE Bluetooth earpiece features a mute button for privacy to meet your need for simpler muting during cell phone call. (ONLY ALLOW TO MUTE DURING CALL ON PHONE)
- COMFORTABLE FIT DESIGN & HD SOUND : The in-ear part can rotate 45 degrees, the ear hook part can rotate 360 degrees, and the mic handle part can rotate 180 degrees. Wireless headset with built-in noise-canceling mic for HD sound and clear calls, ideal for work
- HANDS-FREE CALLING: Designed with a lightweight, on-ear build for lasting comfort and durability. Supports Siri with voice-activated wake-up, allowing you to talk without ever picking up your phone. Equipped with multi-functional buttons that help prevent accidental touches, making on-headset control simple and intuitive—perfect for Taxi drivers/Trucker on the go.
| Planning choice | What to assess | Operational consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the current channel mix | Historical contact volume by channel, customer demand, coverage hours, and agent proficiency | Schedule to the channels customers already use, with named owners and backup. |
| Add or extend a channel | Whether the team can monitor it during stated hours and resolve or hand off the issues it attracts | Set operating hours, response expectations, queue ownership, and a handoff before inviting customers to use it. |
| Route by issue, expertise, or language | Whether the demand is sufficiently distinct and whether the right agents are available | Make the routing rule and the backup path clear so cases do not stall in an unattended queue. |
Shopify includes a retailer example using chat, text, and phone, while emphasizing that channel choices depend on the audience. Treat that as an example rather than a universal channel mix. Shopify’s holiday customer-service guidance
Train every agent on products, policies, and likely cases
Before promotions go live, refresh agents on the information customers will need and the decisions agents are allowed to make. Include internal, temporary, and outsourced agents; third-party coverage is useful only if agents have current documentation and know when to escalate.
- Product details, availability, and known inventory constraints.
- Promotion terms, eligibility, and whether discounts can be combined.
- Order changes, payment questions, cancellations, and delivery expectations.
- Return and exchange rules, including any seasonal policy changes.
- How to check order status, what an agent may resolve directly, and whom to contact when they cannot.
Use an up-to-date knowledge base or concise event guide, and make sure agents can find the current version during a live contact. Shopify quotes Lauren Donnelly, former director of CX at Boll & Branch: “Run product training sessions: Consider video training, up-to-date documentation, and day-long training to equip your in-house team. Don’t forget to prep any outsourced, third-party support.” Shopify’s holiday customer-service guidance
Rank #3
- Advanced All-Day Comfort - This portable open-ear headset weighs only 35g, and is engineered with a flexible frame and IP55 water-resistant soft silicone finish for comfortable, mobile workwear day after day.
- Crystal-Clear Calls - Feel like you are conversing in person with Shokz 7th generation Bone Conduction Technology, powerful PremiumPitch 2.0 audio, and a noise-canceling microphone with DSP technology.
- Multipoint Pairing - Reliable Bluetooth connectivity allows you to easily pair your headset with two devices simultaneously and seamlessly toggle between them with the included Shokz App.
- Intuitive Integrated Controls - Precisely adjust your volume, mute and unmute calls, play or pause audio, and more with a simple press of the headphone's physical control buttons.
- Effortless USB-C Charging - Stay connected and collaborative with up to 16h of talk time and 8h of listening time per charge, and benefit from a 5-minute quick charge that provides 2h of talk time.
Review contact forms before the rush. Ask for information that helps resolve common cases at the outset, such as an order identifier when appropriate. Use tags and automation to reduce repeat manual work, but do not let rigid rules hide unusual, sensitive, or urgent cases from a human agent.
Prepare customer communications before the first surge
Draft and approve answers for predictable questions before customers start asking them at peak volume. Prepare the content for the website, order emails, help content, and agent macros so customers and agents are not working from conflicting versions.
- Promotion terms and discount eligibility.
- Stock availability and what happens if an item sells out.
- Order confirmation, delivery windows, and shipping cutoffs.
- How customers can request an order change or cancellation.
- Return and exchange rules, plus how to reach support and when it is available.
- What customers should expect if a shipment is delayed or an operational issue affects orders.
Assign an owner to update those messages when fulfillment status, inventory, or policy changes. Steve Pogson, founder of First Pier, is quoted in Shopify’s guidance on scheduling seasonal communications in advance: “The goal is not to wait for the last minute but to have everything ready and scheduled. This approach ensures that our team can focus on real-time customer service issues, not scrambling to get communications out.” Shopify’s holiday customer-service guidance
Rank #4
- Great Noise Cancelling & Mute Function: Experience crystal-clear calls with environmental noise cancelling (ENC) technology in our wireless headset. Our noise cancelling headphones for work blocks most background distractions (loud pets/children), making it the ideal headset for noisy environments. One-touch mute button instantly silences your mic during Zoom/Teams meetings.【NOTE】 Mute function activates only during calls
- Bluetooth 5.3 & Dedicated USB Dongle: Our Bluetooth headset features low-latency transmission for music/video calls, and includes a USB-A adapter for Windows PC (non-Bluetooth compatible), making it a versatile computer headset. It works seamlessly with popular platforms like Webex, Zoom, MS Teams, etc.【NOTE】Dongle incompatible with desk phones or landlines. Remove it when the headset is not in use
- Dual Pairing & Extended Mobility: Boost productivity by connecting this work headset to your laptop and smartphone simultaneously. This wireless headset with mic for work lets you seamlessly switch between conference calls and mobile chats, while its 33ft Bluetooth range enables free movement during meetings or calls—ideal for dynamic office setups.
- 40-Hour Battery & Rapid Charge: The 600mAh rechargeable battery delivers 40hrs talk time, with a full charge in just 2 hours using the included charging stand. Perfect for remote work, hybrid office, and business travel, this office headset keeps up with your busy schedule.【NOTE】Can be used while charging, but power off is recommended for optimal safety and battery longevity.
- All-DayComfort: Our Bluetooth headset for work features an adjustable headband and memory foam earcups, engineered for long-wearing comfort with breathable protein leather ear cushions. The flexible boom mic ensures voice clarity, making it a reliable wireless headset with mic for all-day use. A dedicated MFB button supports voice assistant access (Siri/Google) for added convenience.【NOTE】MFB button controls smartphone functions only (not computer apps)
Coordinate support with fulfillment and technical teams
Agents need reliable order, payment, inventory, and shipping information to answer questions accurately. Agree before the event on where agents check status, what they can promise, and which team owns problems outside their authority.
Set an incident and escalation route for checkout failures, website or payment disruptions, fulfillment backlogs, and widespread carrier problems. Name the decision owner, the communication channel for updates, and the information support should share with customers while an issue is unresolved. If an event affects many orders, a consistent update is preferable to agents making separate, unsupported promises.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Google Cloud’s case study of retailers during BFCM 2018 describes preparation practices including capacity planning, architecture and load testing, tabletop exercises, a staffed event war room, real-time communications, and pre-established escalation paths. The case study was published in 2019, so these are planning principles—not evidence of current platform performance. Google Cloud’s BFCM case study
Best Value
- Digital Stereo Sound: Fine-tuned drivers provide enhanced digital audio for calls, meetings, music, and more
- Rotating Noise-Canceling Mic: Minimizes unwanted background noise for clear conversations; the rotating boom arm can be tucked out of the way when not in use
- Handy Inline Controls: Simple inline controls on the headset cable let you adjust the volume or mute calls without disruption
- USB-C Plug-and-Play: Simply plug the USB-C cable into your computer, including MacBook Neo laptops, and you're ready to talk or listen without installing software.
- Padded Comfort: Comfortable USB C headphones with adjustable headband feature swivel-mounted, leatherette ear cushions for hours of comfort
Measure service against your own baseline and adjust
Choose a small set of measures and compare peak performance with your own non-peak baseline. Review results by channel and contact reason as well as across the whole team; an overall average can conceal a queue or issue type that is falling behind.
- First response time (FRT): the average time between a customer reaching out and an agent’s first response. Compare it by channel and operating period.
- Customer satisfaction (CSAT): Shopify describes this on a 0–100% scale. Interpret it alongside contact volume and issue type.
- Customer effort (CES): Shopify describes a five- or seven-point response scale and reproduces the prompt, “[Company] made it easy for me to solve the issue”.
- Contact volume and reasons: use the forecast categories to see which issues are recurring and whether volume is shifting between channels.
Shopify names FRT, CSAT, and CES as useful measures but does not establish a single response-time target suitable for every retailer. Use your baseline and service commitments to decide what a meaningful change looks like, then adjust schedules or address recurring causes as the event unfolds. Shopify’s holiday customer-service guidance
Use retailer survey findings as context, not staffing rules
Woo’s July 2025 survey included 249 merchants and 12 certified WooCommerce agencies. Among respondents, 33.4% named website performance optimization their top 2025 peak-season preparation strategy, while 32.6% ranked increasing inventory as their first priority. Among merchants reporting a seasonal lift, 36.4% planned one to four weeks ahead and 30.9% planned one to three months ahead. These figures describe survey respondents, not all retailers, and the planning-horizon results are not a recommended minimum lead time. They do underline why customer-service planning should account for operational readiness beyond the support queue itself. Woo’s 2025 survey summary
How to prepare your customer service team for Black Friday
- Build the operating picture. Gather daily and year-over-year contact counts, hourly demand by channel, contact reasons, and resolution paths. Overlay promotions, expected orders, shipping cutoffs, inventory and fulfillment constraints, policy changes, and service hours.
- Forecast by time and channel. Use your own history to identify when and where demand is likely to rise. Include the weeks after BFCM rather than treating Cyber Monday as the end of the planning window.
- Publish a coverage plan. Turn the forecast into shifts, queue assignments, named owners, backup coverage, and rules for moving capacity between queues.
- Prepare agents and partners. Refresh product and policy knowledge, document authority limits and escalation contacts, and give third-party agents the same current materials as internal staff.
- Approve customer-facing answers. Prepare help content, website notices, emails, and macros for likely questions; assign an owner to keep them consistent as conditions change.
- Confirm cross-team incident routes. Align support with fulfillment and technical owners on status checks, escalation channels, decision authority, and customer updates.
- Review performance during and after the event. Compare FRT, CSAT, CES, volume, and contact reasons with your baseline; make coverage changes and address repeat causes based on what the data shows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should a retailer start planning for the holiday support rush?
There is no single lead time established for every retailer. Woo’s July 2025 survey found differing planning horizons among respondents, so use the lead time your business needs to forecast demand, arrange coverage, train agents, and approve communications.
Should a retailer add a new support channel just for Black Friday?
Only if it can be monitored and supported during the hours customers are invited to use it. A channel launch also needs an owner and a working handoff for questions the team cannot resolve there.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
