The results are in, and online sales from Black Friday and
Cyber Monday are up compared to one year ago.
According to comScore, a company that monitors online
consumer behavior, Black Friday experienced an 11% increase in sales to $595
million compared to the same day in 2008. Meanwhile, Cyber Monday rose 5%
from the same day in 2008, reaching $887 million and matching December 9, 2008
for online spend, which is the heaviest in record.
These statistics speak great for a recovering economy, and
definitely shed an optimistic light on the upcoming holiday season. But,
before we get ahead of ourselves we need to explore the full scenario and ask ourselves
– how are these sales going to be supported into the New Year?
See, the sale doesn’t end when the credit card is processed
online. After this is complete, retailers must shift focus to the
after-sale experience in which the customer uses the product and seeks help
setting it up, trouble-shooting, exchanging for an upgrade, or simply making a
return. Each of these can have a further positive or negative impact on
the customer’s experience.
Many businesses today rely on repeat customer purchases, and
therefore building a good rapport and reputation for beyond-the-sale service
amongst customers is critical. This is where contact center services –
done in-house or outsourced – will have a huge benefit to any company. A
24 hour help line to trouble-shoot on Boxing Day can mean the difference
between a happy child, and therefore happy customer, or a disgruntled
individual who will go elsewhere for a purchase in the future.
So, while the numbers stand to be beneficial to retailers
right now, will you follow-through and support these sales in 2010?
