How to prepare for the call rush on big sale days: 11.11, Black Friday, holidays
Sado AI team · · 5 min read
In short
On 11.11, Black Friday or a pre-holiday sale, calls squeeze into a few hours, and most ask the same things: sale terms, promo codes, delivery time, returns. Start a week ahead: an answer sheet, extra channels from your phone provider, evening and night cover, and a plan to call back missed calls. If every call on sale day gets answered, the order doesn’t go to another store. An AI operator handles more than ten conversations at once, so there’s no queue.
What calls come in on sale day
Most questions are known in advance. Prepare each answer now:
| Customer’s question | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| “When does the sale end?” | Start and end time, to the hour |
| “My promo code doesn’t work” | Terms: which items, minimum order, whether it adds to other discounts |
| “When will you deliver?” | The real delivery time during the sale, even if longer than usual |
| “Is this item in stock?” | The list of sale items and which have sold out |
| “Can I return it?” | Return rules for discounted items |
| “Where’s my order?” | Who gives the status; if there’s no data, a manager calls back |
A week before: preparation
- Write the answer sheet: one or two sentences for each question above. Everyone answers from it.
- Ask your provider for extra channels. For example, 120 calls an hour in the evening at 3 minutes each: 120 × 3 ÷ 60 = 6 calls at once. In the busiest minutes it doubles, so you need about 12 channels. These numbers are only an example.
- Extend your hours: if the sale starts at midnight, calls start at midnight.
- Check that the phone number on your website, Instagram and ads is correct.
- Plan callbacks for the three days after the sale: who calls whom, and when.
On the day: keeping the queue short
- Answer every call, even briefly. A missed call is often a customer gone to another store.
- Pass long calls, such as complaints or complex orders, to a manager, and close simple questions fast.
- Be honest about delivery. Promise “tomorrow” and deliver in three days, and complaint calls follow the sale.
- Check missed calls every hour and call them back straight away.
Sample: a call at midnight
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, Savatcha store, this is Shohruh. Go ahead.
Caller: I entered the promo code for a vacuum cleaner, but the discount didn’t apply.
Sado: I see. The 11.11 code works on orders over 500 thousand so‘m. How much is in your basket?
Caller: 480 thousand.
Sado: Then it’s 20 thousand short. Add a filter for the vacuum and the discount applies. During the sale, delivery takes two to three days.
Caller: Fine, I’ll add the filter. Two or three days is OK.
Sado: Great. Once you place the order, we’ll call tomorrow afternoon to confirm. Thank you!
The store, amount and terms are only an example. What matters: the operator knows the promo terms exactly and is honest about delivery up front.
After the sale: callbacks
- Missed calls: the same day or the next morning.
- People who filled a basket but didn’t order: only those who left a request or gave consent.
- Orders with late delivery: give the new date before the customer has to call.
- Count how many calls came in, how many were answered, how many were missed and how many of those you called back. Plan the next sale from these numbers.
How an AI operator carries a sale day
An AI operator for online stores answers every call in about a second and talks with more than ten customers at once: no queue, even at midnight. We give it your answer sheet, and it explains the sale terms in your words, in Uzbek or Russian. When it doesn’t know something, it doesn’t make it up: it says a manager will call back and creates a task.
How many calls can come through one number at once also depends on your provider’s channels; the maths is here: connecting your number. AI outbound calls handle the callbacks after the sale: upload the list, set the hours and a daily limit. You pay only for talked minutes, 800 so‘m a minute. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
How many staff do I need on sale day?
More than usual; the exact number depends on the call flow. Count last sale’s calls hour by hour and plan for the busiest hour. With an AI operator, the queue doesn’t depend on headcount.
What if the sale terms change during the day?
Update the answer sheet at once and remove the old version, or staff will say different things. In Sado, you write the new terms into the operator’s information.
Can’t we just call night callers back in the morning?
You can, but on sale day customers don’t wait: no answer, and they open another store. It’s better to answer the call right away.