With countless business models and the rapid rise of e-commerce reshaping the landscape, staying competitive means staying ahead. Just last year, U.S. e-commerce grew by 7.6% and now accounts for nearly a quarter of all retail sales. The message is clear—retail brands must adapt faster than ever.
Success hinges on putting customers first. A well-designed, customer-centric experience drives higher sales, fewer returns, increased loyalty, and stronger brand advocacy. Most CX leaders understand this, but here’s the challenge: How do you deliver top-tier service without breaking the bank? Retail teams face tighter budgets, limited resources, and rising expectations. The challenge? How do you elevate service quality while driving down costs.
In today’s 24/7 retail world, providing always-on support, reliable, and expert service isn’t optional—it’s essential. Customers demand seamless, scalable, and convenient support, and failing to meet these expectations means losing out to competitors.
Brands are scrutinizing Black Friday and holiday sales performance to identify what needs improvement. The problem? Customer service teams typically stay the same size year-round, with a temporary boost during peak periods through temp hires or mandatory overtime. But these quick fixes don’t improve CSAT or employee morale—they’re stopgaps, not solutions.
How can retailers maintain peak service levels, improve CSAT, and boost morale-without blowing their budget or burning out their team?
The answer lies in thinking beyond traditional in-house support. By embracing a dynamic, multilayered approach, brands can build a more resilient service model that flexes with demand while delivering exceptional results.
Picture a shock absorber. On a smooth road, it’s a steady ride—just like your core CX team handles day-to-day volume. But when the road gets bumpy, the shock absorber expands and contracts to maintain a smooth experience. Similarly, when holiday or high-demand seasons or other aspects drive up sales and call volumes, you need a flexible team that scales up or down as needed, without compromising service quality.
Enter Gig CX
Gig CX is your on-demand talent pool—skilled experts ready to step in when needed. Since they operate outside the constraints of a contact center, they’re available wherever and whenever you need them. They work on a flexible schedule, ensuring you meet fluctuating demand without sacrificing quality. The result? Happier customers, improved CSAT, and greater flexibility—without costly overtime. Everyone wins. These aren’t just any agents—they’re brand enthusiasts. They know and love your products, making them uniquely equipped to deliver authentic, knowledgeable support. Imagine your customers being assisted by someone who genuinely loves your brand—because they started as your customers!
Movate’s Directly OnDemand
In today’s retail environment, flexibility is as critical as expertise. Directly OnDemand gives you the best of both worlds: a core full-time team for steady operations, paired with a scalable Gig customer experience platform that taps into thousands of trained experts whenever you need them.
Plus, we integrate AI-driven automation to handle simple queries instantly, 24/7, while ensuring complex issues are seamlessly escalated to human agents—whether full-time staff or Gig customer experience experts. This combination delivers a personalized experience that meets today’s high customer expectations.
Ask yourself: did your current support agents/associates or engineers know and love your brand before they joined your team? Ours do. Directly OnDemand offers a flexible, scalable, and proven platform that integrates effortlessly with your existing operations. And you won’t be alone—we’re already doing this for 5 of the top 20 global retail giants.
If you’re a fashion retailer, we source Gig CX Experts who live and breathe fashion. If you’re in home improvement, we bring in DIY lovers and contractors who know the tools and jobs inside-out. Whatever your niche, we source experts who match your brand.
Ready to transform your customer experience? Contact us.
About the author
Mike McWilliams drives business development strategy for Movate’s gaming vertical, delivering customized, scalable solutions that address the evolving needs of global gaming companies. With a proven track record of enhancing operational efficiency and player support, Mike is a strategic partner known for challenging the status quo to achieve measurable gains in scalability, performance, and player satisfaction.
Additional information
- POV: ON DEMAND TEAMS CAN TOTALLY TRANSFORM RETAIL CX
- Blog: How GenAI chatbots are reimagining retail CX
- Web: Directly OnDemand Platform – Customer Service Chat Platform
- Report: Gig Economy Collaboration: TSIA and Movate Co-Author Report
- Blog: Movate’s Virtual Try-On solution for a top brand – Movate
On-demand teams offer a powerful solution for retailers seeking to elevate their customer experience (CX). By leveraging flexible, specialized talent, businesses can rapidly scale their operations to meet fluctuating demands, address specific customer needs, and ultimately enhance the overall shopping journey. This approach allows retailers to avoid the overhead and commitment of full-time employees while ensuring access to a diverse range of skills and expertise, from multilingual customer service agents to specialized product consultants. The result is a more personalized, efficient, and ultimately more satisfying experience for the customer, boosting loyalty and driving sales. This strategy is particularly beneficial during peak seasons or when launching new products, enabling retailers to seamlessly manage increased customer interaction without compromising service quality. Successfully integrating on-demand teams requires careful planning, clear communication, and robust technology to ensure seamless coordination and efficient task management. The payoff, however, is a more agile, responsive, and customer-centric retail operation.