
How A Chatbot Help You Survive Black Friday
It’s that time of the year again…
Even though Black Friday thrills most e-commerce teams, it’s also one of the year’s most stressful weeks for customer-service agents. But don’t despair — we have a secret weapon to help you survive (and thrive in) the shopping frenzy: AI chatbots!
Black Friday week is a huge opportunity for every brand and retailer, yet it comes with a spike in pressure: website traffic can surge tenfold, and support requests jump by an average of 65 percent.
At the same time, shoppers crave personalisation: 80 percent of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from brands that tailor the experience. How do you keep service costs down, scale sales, and give every visitor that personal touch?
One answer is to reinforce your customer-service team with a chatbot. (Notice we said reinforce, not replace ☝️) Chatbots aren’t a substitute for human agents; they’re a power-tool that lets humans shine.
Here are six ways a chatbot helps you not only survive but win this Black Friday:
#1 Take the load off customer service 📩
Modern chatbots scale infinitely, speak multiple languages and keep costs low. Before Black Friday, letting a bot handle repetitive queries means:
- Shorter response times for customers
- More time for human agents to tackle high-value issues
It also reduces staffing costs. The bot can collect all the information up-front, so when a ticket reaches a human, the groundwork is done. Time is money. 💲
But can a chatbot handle personalisation?
Absolutely. Thanks to NLP, today’s chatbots sound natural, and most users never realise they’re talking to AI.
#2 Engage visitors and increase conversions 🤑
When a visitor lands on your site, you have seconds to grab attention. A chatbot acts like an online shop assistant: it can proactively greet visitors, answer questions and guide hesitant shoppers through checkout.
#3 Increase average order value 🛍️
Build your chatbot to upsell and cross-sell: based on browsing behaviour it can suggest complementary products, highlight items that are nearly sold out, or point out bundle deals.
#4 Reduce shopping-cart abandonment 🛒
During Black Friday 2021, 79.88 percent of filled carts were abandoned. Many shoppers ditch the cart when questions pop up. A chatbot can answer sizing, material, or shipping queries on the spot, nudging them to complete the purchase.
#5 Make exchanges & returns easier 🔄
Impulse buys spike during sales, leading to a flood of returns right before Christmas. A chatbot can:
- Fully automate simple return/exchange flows
- Flag erroneous orders before they ship
- Gather all necessary details, so agents just approve the request
Result? Happier customers and lower return-handling costs.
#6 Collect feedback from customers 🙁😐😀
Chatbots seamlessly collect data — email addresses, CSAT feedback, browsing intent — during the conversation. Use those insights to spot friction points, improve UX, personalise future visits, and power smarter retargeting.
Get ready for combat 🤺
Black Friday is around the corner. It can be a nightmare if you’re unprepared—or a windfall if you’re ready. The good news? It’s not too late. Start your chatbot project now, and you can still launch before peak season hits.
Get a chatbot and gear up for Black Friday combat! 👊😎