For businesses expecting a busy final quarter, the most useful preparation happens before the queues arrive. Hiring extra people can be part of the answer, but it will not fix unclear processes, missing knowledge or a support platform that makes every enquiry harder than it needs to be.
Customers also expect continuity as they move between channels. Zendesk’s 2026 research reports that 81% of consumers surveyed want advisers to continue a conversation without making them start again. During a busy period, keeping that context is especially valuable. Read the research summary.
Plan around the work that is coming
Look beyond last year’s contact total. A promotion, product launch, new market or delivery change can alter the questions customers ask and the skills needed to answer them. Forecast the likely enquiry mix as well as the volume, and agree a reasonable range rather than treating one forecast as certain.
Then look at when that work arrives. A weekly average can hide an overloaded Monday morning or a gap in evening coverage. Compare the demand pattern with the team’s available hours, including training, leave and the time new colleagues need to become confident.
A simple scenario exercise can make decisions easier. Agree what you will do if demand is lower than expected, broadly on plan or materially higher. Define the signals that trigger extra capacity, a revised customer message or a change in priorities.
Make the first week easier for new colleagues
Before recruitment turns into live service, test whether the basics are ready. People need working access, clear knowledge, realistic practice and someone they can ask when a case falls outside the usual process.
Temporary or newly recruited colleagues should understand the same service standards as the established team. Start them with work they are ready to handle, review a sample of conversations and widen responsibility as their capability develops. A fast start should still be a supported start.
Keep technical escalation and complaint ownership clear. Peak demand is a difficult time to discover that two teams believe the other one is responsible.
Protect the budget through the peak
Track overtime, backlog, quality and repeat contact together. An operation that relies on extra hours every week may have a capacity problem or a process problem. The response should follow the evidence.
CareFront can help build the right combination of internal, nearshore and offshore support, with recruitment, training and ongoing management matched to the business. We stay close to delivery so capacity changes can be made with service quality and cost in view.
Once demand settles, review what happened. Keep the useful process improvements, learn from the forecast and agree what capacity is needed next. Preparing for the peak should leave the operation stronger afterwards.