What Christmas Can Teach Us About Talking to Customers
Every December, something strange happens. People who haven’t spoken all year suddenly pop up with a Christmas card. Colleagues become friendlier (possibly related to office chocolate supplies). Families remember group chats exist. And even the grumpiest among us soften just a little.
Christmas has a magical way of getting people to communicate more warmly and more intentionally. And funnily enough, that’s exactly what customers want from businesses too.
If your organisation uses live chat, AI assistants, WhatsApp, SMS or any other channel to keep customers informed, December is basically a giant festive reminder of how communication should feel: warm, clear and genuinely helpful.
The Christmas Rush: A Stress Test for Customer Communication
Let’s be honest. Christmas is chaos. People are juggling shopping, travel, family gatherings and the annual crisis of forgetting someone’s gift until 10pm on Christmas Eve. During this time, emotions are high and patience can be limited.
This is when customers need communication the most. Not the corporate kind. Not the “we value your feedback” kind. The useful kind.
- A quick WhatsApp update about a delivery.
- A friendly bot that can help at midnight.
- A live chat response that doesn’t sound like it was written by a committee.
In the festive rush, good communication feels like a gift. And bad communication feels like the ghost of customer services past.
Keeping the Communication Channels Open (Like the Door of an Advent Calendar)
Customers today hop between channels like they’re picking chocolates from an advent calendar.
- WhatsApp while walking the dog.
- Live chat while pretending to work.
- SMS when they need information fast.
- AI bots for the questions they’d rather not ask a human.
Businesses that keep channels open, easy to find and easy to use send a clear message: “We’re here for you.” And customers remember that, especially when everything else in life feels like herding reindeer.
The Power of Kindness (Yes, Even in Customer Service)
Christmas turns kindness up a notch. People donate, bake things for neighbours and try to be slightly less sarcastic than usual.
Kindness works wonders in customer communication too. It can be as simple as:
- a warm greeting in live chat
- a proactive invite that prevents a headache later
- an AI bot that actually sounds human
- a message that reassures as well as informs
In a season where everyone expects a little extra cheer, kindness in communication doesn’t just feel nice. It builds loyalty faster than santa’s elf assembling bicycles.
Listening: The Most Underrated Customer Service Superpower
Christmas gatherings have one surprising thing in common with good customer service: lots of listening.
In the customer world, listening isn’t just about reading messages. It also means noticing trends, paying attention to what customers do (not just what they say) and learning from it. Which channel are they choosing most? Which questions keep popping up? Where do conversations fall apart?
Digital channels offer an incredible amount of insight. The trick is to actually use it. Because just like ignoring a family member’s story about their cat’s Christmas outfit, ignoring customer signals never ends well.
Adding a Little Storytelling Magic
Christmas is full of stories, from classic films to the annual debate about whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
Businesses can borrow some of that magic. A short WhatsApp message reminding someone about holiday hours, a helpful festive tip sent by SMS or even a friendly seasonal greeting in the chat window makes communication feel more human, less robotic.
These are small touches, but they create a sense of connection. And customers don’t forget how a business makes them feel.
Clarity: The Unofficial Christmas Miracle
With so much happening in December, people don’t have the mental space for vague instructions or mysterious updates.
Clear communication saves the day. It prevents confusion, reduces stress and stops customers having to contact you twice. Examples include:
- clear information about opening hours
- simple explanations from AI bots
- short updates when something changes
- live chat that sets expectations about waiting times
- proactive invitations before customers need to ask
When communication is clear, customers relax. And relaxed customers are much nicer to deal with.
Carrying Christmas into the New Year
The festive season won’t last forever, but the communication habits it encourages absolutely should.
Here are a few Christmas lessons worth keeping long after the decorations are packed away:
- Stay present across the channels your customers already use.
- Make kindness the default, not the exception.
- Listen actively, not passively.
- Communicate before customers have to chase you.
- Keep things clear and simple. No jargon. No corporate fluff.
A Final Festive Thought
Christmas reminds us that communication is about connection. And connection is what customers come back for. Whether you’re using live chat, WhatsApp, SMS, AI bots or anything else, the goal is the same: make people feel supported, understood and valued.
If businesses can capture even a small piece of the warmth and clarity that defines Christmas communication, they’ll set themselves up for stronger relationships long into the new year.
