Thirty-six percent (36%) of Americans will begin their December holiday shopping before the month of November this year; 19% plan to have it completed by November 1. That’s according to a new 2016 Holiday Shopping Season survey for BestBlackFriday.com.

If you feel that more stores are putting up their holiday decorations by the checkout counter earlier each year, you’re likely correct. It’s the best time of year for sales. The recently released National Retail Federation (NRF) 2016 Holiday Sales Forecast predicts that retail sales during November and December (not including autos, gas, and restaurants) will grow by 3.6% this year to $655.8 billion, which is higher than the 10-year average increase of 2.5%.

Online Sales are Increasing

The NRF forecasts online holiday sales to also increase between seven and 10% over last year to as much as $117 billion of the $656 billion total.

And with more sales comes more seasonal employees who will need to learn to represent their brand and its customer experience in a matter of days or weeks. Retailers are expected to hire 640,000 to 690,000 seasonal workers this holiday season, matching last year’s 675,300 new hire total.

Keeping Up with the Holiday Rush

How can more retailers keep up with, and even improve the customer experience during the holiday rush (or any time of the year)? Here are three top tips:

  1. Gather solid answers. Ensure your brand’s knowledgebase content is up-to-date, easy to search, well-organized, and abundant, covering not just common customer service queries but also information about products and services. Highlight the most frequently asked questions on your brand’s website or support portal. Make sure the content is optimized for search engines. Distribute your knowledgebase content across various online platforms, including social media, to boost customer satisfaction and reduce calls and emails. Most importantly, ensure all your employees, especially customer service agents, have access to the same or better information—particularly the new hires during the holiday season.
  2. Make it easier for shoppers holding the phone. The mobile experience is key for holiday consumers, whether they’re shopping from home or in the store searching for specials.Last year, 50% of shopping visits and 28% of online sales were driven by a mobile device according to Adobe Digital Insights. Retailers should invest in a mobile experience that is as effortless as possible, but also consistent with the in-store experience. Satisfying mobile experiences not only amplify brand awareness, but help make the sale by making price comparisons, daily special location, scanning bar codes or researching product features easy.
  3. Improve the omnichannel customer experience. This is the step where improvement and success equals a brand and customer experience differentiator.According to Retail Systems Research, due to siloed departments and siloed technologies, many retailers still struggle with having a real-time view of their customer – and providing a consistent and personalized experience to them as they move between and across channels, departments, and through their individual customer journeys.In the recent Retail Systems Research survey, 77% of retailer respondents said legacy technology was what was holding them back from providing a consistent customer experience across channels.

For retailers who can move ahead in this area by integrating more of their departments and technology, as well as using data and intelligence to improve and personalize the customer experience, this could be a holiday (and year-round) game changer.

The holiday shopping forecasts are in. The season looks bright. Will your brand be on consumers’ naughty or nice list this year? It all depends on your customer experience.