Study Finds Retailers Worry About Inadequate Call Center Staff for 2022 Holidays

While it may be a little odd to think of end-of-the-year holiday shopping season during a heatwave, summer is the time that retailers begin planning their resources for the biggest shopping season of the year. With a nationwide shortage of staff, however, this year’s planning is expected to be more complicated than most.

UK-based delivery experience platform company Sorted recently commissioned research that found that 44 percent of retail leaders say they don’t have enough staff to support the upcoming peak season. More than half of retailers – 52 percent – said they feared that service levels will drop as a result of staff shortages. To arrive at the results of the research, Sorted interviewed 500 retail leaders across the UK and U.S.

When asked what the biggest concerns were, fulfilling orders was ranked as the top. As fears grow around a recession, this was closely followed by internal budget constraints threatening the customer experience. Drops in customer satisfaction, a rise in WISMO (“where is my order?”) and WISMR (“where is my return?”) inquiries and coping with an influx of returns were also identified.

The additional bad news is that retailers believe it will be a busy holiday season. Thanks to rising inflation, shoppers will be on the hunt for the best possible discounts during the holiday shopping season. As a result of this expectation, 37 percent of survey respondents said they believe that peak season will be busier than any other. To cope with expected demand, 48 percent of retailers Sorted spoke with said they plan to tackle the customer contact center rush by hiring more staff, while 47 percent plan to provide customers with more self-serve information on their orders.

“Potential staffing shortages, with peak season just around the corner may present unwanted challenges for retailers this year,” said Carmen Carey, CEO of Sorted. “Peak is often a time when retailers will up spend on customer service staff, to deal with the influx of seasonal WISMO and WISMR enquiries, so added challenges around customer service and customer delivery experience will be worrying for many. Ensuring proactive measures are in place, including regular customer communications regarding delivery status, will provide a strong line of defense in preserving a positive delivery experience.”

Edited by Greg Tavarez

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