• Think Z
  • Posts
  • Last Minute BFCM Checklist

Last Minute BFCM Checklist

Plus, Building a Customer Service Experience for your SaaS Business

In partnership with

The TL;DR:

  • Let’s Chat D2C: Last Minute BFCM Checklist

  • What I’m Thinking about this Week: Creating a customer service experience from the ground up for a SaaS business.

  • The D2Z Podcast: In this week’s episode, I sat down with Vance Morris to discuss how businesses can deliver a world-class customer experience akin to the legendary service at Disney.

  • App Updates & Highlights: ChargeFlow, the leading Chargeback management platform for eCommerce, trusted by thousands of brands, is offering $10,000 in free managed Chargebacks until the end of the year.

  • Upcoming Events: None! I’ll be in Lake Tahoe from 11/25-11/30 and Miami from 12/1-12/12. Let me know if you’re in the area and want to connect.

Double Your Referral Revenue in One Chat

Hey there! I’m a referral marketing nerd obsessed with building programs that unlock real value.

  • I’ve studied all the best cases (like Harry’s) + worked with 300+ Shopify plus brands

  • Helped companies build “referral armies” driving 10% of revenue (most only get 2%)

  • This year alone, I’ve generated over $5M in referral transactions.

Give me 15 minutes, and I’ll show you how to tap into your customers’ networks. Plus, I’ll buy you lunch ($20 UberEats voucher)!

Let’s Chat D2C - Last Minute BFCM Checklist.

Time is tight, but there's still plenty you can do to maximize sales and minimize chaos. Here's your "hair-on-fire" checklist to get everything in place before the rush:

Store Preparation

Stress-Test Your Site

  • Ensure your Shopify Plus store can handle increased traffic.

  • Use Shopify's built-in performance reports or third-party tools to simulate traffic spikes.

Enable Backup Systems

  • Double-check that your store's automated backups are working in case of downtime or errors.

Test Checkout Process

  • Do a mock purchase on desktop and mobile.

  • Check for any friction points, especially for express payment options like Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal.

Optimize Mobile Speed

  • Compress images and remove unused scripts or apps to ensure fast load times.

  • Use Google PageSpeed Insights for quick fixes.

Offer & Promotion Essentials

Triple-Check Discounts

  • Verify discount codes, auto-applies, and tiered discounts in your Shopify admin.

  • Test these across products to ensure no pricing glitches.

Promote Your Offers Everywhere

  • Update your homepage banners, product pages, and cart page with deal details.

  • Cross-sell and upsell with Shopify's Product Recommendations feature.

Set Up Countdown Timers

  • Add urgency with timers on landing pages and product pages.

Enable Free Shipping Thresholds

  • Encourage larger cart sizes with clear messaging (e.g., “Free shipping on orders over $50”).

Marketing & Retargeting

Send Reminder Emails & SMS

  • Last-minute blasts to hype urgency (Shopify Email or Klaviyo).

  • Include a “Cart Recovery” sequence to catch abandoned carts.

Retarget with Ads

  • Use Shopify Audiences or Facebook Ads to retarget site visitors and past customers.

  • Focus on high-margin products or bundles.

Update Social Media Channels

  • Schedule posts about your deals with a direct link to the shop.

  • Use shoppable posts if your Instagram is synced with Shopify.

Customer Support

Activate Shopify Chat or Live Chat

Be available for real-time customer support.

Prep FAQ Sections

Include clear info on returns, shipping timelines, and discount policies.

Enable Easy Returns

Use tools like Loop Returns for a seamless process.

Inventory & Fulfillment

Stock Check

  • Confirm inventory levels to prevent overselling.

  • Set up back-in-stock alerts for high-demand products.

Fulfillment Workflow

Coordinate with fulfillment teams or third-party logistics providers for timely shipping.

Batch Process Orders

Use Shopify Flow to automate repetitive tasks like order tagging and prioritization.

Analytics & Reporting

Set Up Tracking

Ensure Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and Shopify Analytics are tracking conversions.

Monitor Real-Time Performance

Use Shopify Live View to track sales trends and pivot quickly.

Plan Post-Sale Follow-Up

Schedule thank-you emails with an upsell or future discount offer.

Emergency Protocols

Prepare a Downtime Message

Have a friendly “Oops! We're overwhelmed!” message ready for unexpected downtime.

Backup Key Contacts

  • Have your developer, Shopify Plus support, and fulfillment partner on speed dial.

Final Pro Tip: Breathe! Small tweaks now can make a big difference. Cheers to smashing your BFCM goals!

Double Your Referral Revenue in One Chat

  • Unlock hidden revenue with a quick chat

  • Drive 10%+ top line revenue through referrals

  • I’ve helped brands generate $5M this year

  • I’ve worked with over 300+ Shopify brands.

What I’m Thinking About This Week - Creating a Customer Service Experience from the Ground Up for a SaaS Business

2 weeks out from our V2 public release of SCALIS, one of the aspects we’ve been most focused on is our customer experience. We knew we wanted to flip the script on traditional support. It’s not just about resolving tickets—it ‘s about making every customer feel like they have a partner in their corner. Here’s how we’ve set it up:

  1. Building with HubSpot’s Service Hub
    We chose HubSpot's Service Hub as our backbone because it allows us to streamline communication and track every interaction in a single place. This means nothing falls through the cracks, and our team always has the context they need to solve problems quickly and effectively.

  2. Dedicated Slack Channels for Every Customer
    Forget generic support queues. Each customer gets their own dedicated Slack channel with us. This approach not only adds a personal touch but also makes it easy for customers to reach out for real-time collaboration.

  3. Hiring Customer Success Pros Who "Get It"
    We’ve built a customer success team of people who’ve walked in our end users’ shoes. By hiring individuals who have been in the roles our SaaS serves, we’re able to provide empathy-driven support and proactive insights. They understand the challenges our customers face because they've lived them. I’ve found it much easier to teach the role versus teaching the industry/space, so we’ve hired people who previously held titles such as “Director of People Operations” to run our customer success team versus hiring “Customer Success Managers” from other industries.

  4. 24/7 Global Support
    Support that sleeps isn’t support. To ensure round-the-clock help, we’ve set up an overseas support team that mirrors our high standards. With this, customers can count on getting answers no matter the hour or their time zone.

The result? A customer support experience that’s not just efficient but also personal and proactive. It’s a model that prioritizes relationships and results—and it’s been a game-changer for us and our customers alike.

If you're building your own SaaS, remember that great support is about investing in your customers as much as they invest in you.

The fastest way to build AI apps

Writer is the full-stack generative AI platform for enterprises. Quickly and easily build and deploy AI apps with Writer AI Studio, a suite of developer tools fully integrated with our LLMs, graph-based RAG, AI guardrails, and more.

Use Writer Framework to build Python AI apps with drag-and-drop UI creation, our API and SDKs to integrate AI into your existing codebase, or intuitive no-code tools for business users.

This Week’s The D2Z Podcast

#131 – Creating a Disney Level of Customer Service

🎧 Listen Now 🎧

In this week’s episode, I sat down with Vance Morris to discuss how businesses can deliver a world-class customer experience akin to the legendary service at Disney. Specifically, we explored the following:

💡 The principles of creating a memorable customer service experience

📈 Strategies to empower teams to exceed customer expectations

🧠 The role of emotional intelligence in customer interactions

🔑 Practical steps to implement a customer-centric culture in any organization

🚀 Insights on the long-term benefits of exceptional customer service for brand loyalty and growth

Seeking impartial news? Meet 1440.

Every day, 3.5 million readers turn to 1440 for their factual news. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you a complete summary of politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a brief 5-minute email. Enjoy an impartial news experience.

App Updates & Highlights - Chargeflow

Your BFCM marketing strategy is set, but what about your revenue recovery strategy?

According to Mastercard, eCommerce fraud spiked by 35% during last year's BFCM period.

Chargeflow, the leading Chargeback management platform for eCommerce, trusted by thousands of brands, is offering $10,000 in free managed Chargebacks until the end of the year.

Whether you've just heard about Chargeflow or you're already familiar with it, now's the best time to onboard it If you like the service, you can keep using it. You'll only pay for chargebacks they successfully recover for you.

If you don't find it useful, you can easily uninstall it with just one click. There's no risk in trying it out.

Upcoming Events

None! I’ll be in Lake Tahoe from 11/25-11/30 and Miami from 12/1-12/12. Let me know if you’re in the area and want to connect.

Reply

or to participate.