While most organisations have plans for predictable high-volume periods like Black Friday, Christmas or EOFY rushes, many are unprepared for unexpected demand – good, bad or ugly – from cyber incidents, viral marketing success or sudden service disruptions.
For example, an organisation might have a disaster recovery plan for its IT systems but lacks prepared responses for customer communications during a PR crisis, or hasn’t configured its systems to handle a sudden surge in enquiries from a successful marketing campaign.
The good news is that simple preparations for a CX crisis response plan can make the difference between maintaining customer confidence and losing it during critical moments, without requiring major technology investments.
This article is part of a series examining CX fundamentals in the age of AI. We also explore optimising existing channels and turning contact centre data into executive intelligence.
Don’t forget the customer in business continuity planning
Disaster recovery and business continuity plans typically focus on systems, infrastructure and internal processes. They’re essential but often have a blind spot: the customer experience dimension.
A bank may have detailed protocols for maintaining transactions during an outage, yet no prepared messaging for anxious customers calling about account access. A telco might have failover systems for network disruptions, but no ‘off-the-shelf’ tactics to deal with the contact surge if services go down.
This disconnect creates a dangerous gap. Your infrastructure may recover quickly, but the damage to customer relationships and confidence from poor crisis communication can bring lasting damage.
Simple preparations that pay dividends
Effective preparation for unexpected volume spikes requires minimal technology investment but thoughtful preparation. Some of the most impactful measures are also the simplest:
Pre-prepared messages and crisis pathways
Develop a technical framework and library of pre-recorded messages for various scenarios that can be deployed to your interactive voice response (IVR) system. This includes:
- Pre-built crisis routing structures that can be activated instantly
- Configurable announcement slots ready for quick deployment
- Automated callback options to manage queue overflow
- Dynamic menu options that adapt based on volume triggers
Proactive notification templates
For many situations, the best call is the one that never happens because you’ve proactively addressed customer concerns. Prepare editable templates and system configurations for:
- SMS notifications for service disruptions
- Email communications for longer-term issues
- App push notifications for critical updates
- Social media response protocols for public incidents
Flexible queue and routing strategies
Configure your contact centre platform with adaptable strategies that can be quickly implemented during volume spikes:
- Priority queuing for high-value or vulnerable customers
- Skill-based routing to direct specific issue types to prepared specialists
- Overflow routing to additional resources or outsourced partners
- After-hours contingency plans for extended coverage
Technology as a preparation multiplier
Strategic preparation enhanced by technology creates exponential benefits during critical moments. By pre-building messaging, templates and routing configurations, then combining them with intelligent automation, you gain a response capability far beyond simply adding staff.
When your platform is optimised in advance with the right balance of automation, AI and human touchpoints, your team can activate sophisticated response strategies within minutes. Customers encounter reduced wait times and receive timely information during a crisis rather than frustration and uncertainty.
This proactive preparation combined with innovative technology acts as a force multiplier, allowing you to:
Activate digital deflection during surges
- Chatbots trained on specific crisis scenarios
- Self-service portals for common inquiries or actions
- Automated callback options to smooth demand peaks
- Temporary web forms for non-urgent issues
Leverage cloud flexibility
- Modern cloud platforms provide on-demand scaling of licenses and capacity
- Quick deployment of new channels when needed
- Seamless integration of remote or temporary agents
- Access to partner networks for overflow support
- Automated workforce management adjustments
There's good news and bad news
Volume spikes aren’t always from crises. Unexpected success, like viral marketing campaigns, product launches exceeding targets or favourable media coverage brings its own challenges. Yes, they are good problems to have, but they still come with brand reputation risks if they take you by surprise.
The key is building flexible response capabilities for positive and negative scenarios, recognising that any significant volume deviation requires a coordinated strategy.
Are you ready for it?
Ask yourself:
Do we have pre-approved message templates for common scenarios?
Can we quickly modify our IVR and routing strategies?
Do our business continuity plans specifically address customer communications?
Have we tested our ability to scale rapidly during unexpected demand?
Do we have agreements in place with partners who can provide overflow support?
If you answered no to any of these questions, you can strengthen your response capability, often with modest investments that yield significant returns when needed most. A structured CX readiness assessment can identify your highest-priority improvements and quickest wins.
For more information about contact centre readiness and CX crisis planning, contact Nexon for a CX channel assessment.
Dave Flanagan is Head of Digital and AI at Nexon Asia Pacific.
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