Why Samesurf Cobrowsing Beats Phone Support During Peak Season

Samesurf is the inventor of modern co-browsing and a pioneer in the development of foundational systems for Agentic AI.

During the peak holiday season, every second of customer support time carries more weight. Retailers and e-commerce brands see volumes surge, expectations rise, and patience shrink. Customers are shopping under time pressure, comparing options in multiple tabs, and trying to complete orders before shipping deadlines. When something goes wrong, they expect fast, precise help that gets them back on track immediately.

In this environment, traditional phone-based support reveals its limitations. Lengthy explanations, back-and-forth questioning, and the constant “Can you describe what you see?” routine slows everything down. Agents spend too much time reconstructing what the customer is experiencing instead of solving the problem. Average handle times climb, first contact resolution rates fall, and lines grow longer just as demand peaks.

Samesurf Cobrowsing fundamentally changes that equation. By enabling agents to join customers directly in their live browsing sessions, a cobrowse-enabled contact center powered by Samesurf turns vague explanations into shared context. Instead of relying on the customer to narrate the problem, the agent can see the exact page, error message, and interaction in real time. During the December rush, this difference is decisive.

The Reality of Phone Support in December

The traditional call-center model is built on voice alone. A customer with a problem calls in, waits in a queue, reaches an agent, and then tries to explain what is happening. Under normal conditions, this is already a slow way of working. In December, it becomes a major bottleneck.

A typical holiday call might unfold like this. A customer is attempting to place a last-minute order and struggles with a promo code, shipping option, or address validation error. They dial the support number and wait, listening to seasonal hold music as they watch the shipping cutoff window approach. When an agent finally answers, the first few minutes are spent verifying identity and locating the account or order.

Only then does the troubleshooting begin. The agent asks what the customer sees. The customer attempts to describe the layout of the page, the text of the error message, and the steps they have taken so far. The agent tries to match this description to an internal script or knowledge base article. If there is a misunderstanding at any point, the agent could be troubleshooting the wrong problem. The customer’s frustration grows. Handle time increases.

Even when the agent is highly skilled, this model depends on the customer’s ability to explain their situation clearly and on the agent’s ability to visualize it correctly. Any miscommunication leads to repeated questions, requests for confirmation, or suggestions that do not work on the customer’s specific device or screen. Under peak load, these inefficiencies propagate through the queue, creating longer wait times for everyone.

What Changes with a Cobrowse-Enabled Contact Center

A cobrowse-enabled contact center using Samesurf Cobrowsing replaces guesswork with shared visibility. Instead of trying to reconstruct the customer experience from a verbal description, the agent joins the customer inside the live web session through secure, real-time cobrowsing.

From the customer’s standpoint, the process is simple. While they are on the site, whether in the cart, on an account page, or in the checkout flow, they are offered the option to connect with an agent who can “see this page with you” or “walk you through this step.” When they accept, they grant permission for the agent to view and interact with the current tab using Samesurf Cobrowsing.

From the agent’s standpoint, the entire workflow changes. As soon as the Samesurf Cobrowsing session begins, the agent is looking at the customer’s actual browser view: the contents of the cart, the buttons they are hovering over, the forms they are trying to complete, and the error messages they are encountering. Instead of asking the customer to describe what they see, the agent can immediately say, “I see the page you’re on; let’s work through this together.”

Since Samesurf Cobrowsing is synchronized at the DOM level rather than streamed as a video, the agent can point, highlight, scroll, and guide interactively. Sensitive fields such as credit card numbers and passwords can remain masked or input-blocked to protect customer privacy. This combination of precision and control creates a support experience that is both efficient and secure.

Reduced Handle Time When It Matters Most

During peak season, average handle time is one of the most critical metrics. Longer calls mean longer queues, more abandoned calls, and more pressure on agents. Samesurf Cobrowsing attacks the root causes of inflated handle times.

In a phone-only environment, much of the call is consumed by diagnosing the situation: having the customer detail the sequence of steps they took, interpreting vague or incomplete descriptions of what is on the screen, and trying multiple solutions because the agent cannot be certain which condition actually applies.

With Samesurf Cobrowsing, that entire diagnostic phase shrinks dramatically. The agent is not working from secondhand information; they can see the problem unfold in real time. If the customer clicks a button that causes an unexpected result, the agent sees it instantly. If the customer is stuck on a field they have overlooked, the agent can draw attention to it visually.

The conversation changes from “Tell me what you see” to “I see the ship-to address field is incomplete; let’s fill that in together.” There is no need to ask the customer to read out error messages, spell out field names, or navigate menus based on verbal instructions. The agent can lead the way while the customer follows along in the shared Samesurf Cobrowsing session.

This directness translates into shorter calls, particularly for complex or high-value transactions like holiday orders with multiple items, gift wrapping, or special shipping instructions. As handle time drops, the contact center can serve more customers with the same number of agents, which is essential when seasonal volume spikes.

Higher First Contact Resolution in a High-Stakes Period

First Contact Resolution is another key metric that becomes more meaningful during December. Customers who must call back, switch channels, or wait for escalation are far more likely to abandon their purchase altogether, especially when gift deadlines are looming.

Phone support that relies solely on verbal descriptions tends to generate repeat contacts. A customer might be given a generic solution that does not quite match their specific scenario. They might misunderstand instructions or be unable to replicate them later. They may hang up believing the problem is solved, only to encounter the same issue on the next attempt.

Samesurf Cobrowsing increases FCR by ensuring that the agent resolves the real problem, in context, during the initial interaction. Since the agent and customer are working side by side in the same live browsing session, there is little room for ambiguity. If an action is successful, both see it succeed. If a change needs to be made, the agent can confirm it visually before ending the call.

In practice, this means fewer callbacks related to the same issue, fewer open tickets lingering in the system, and fewer customers stuck midway through the buying journey. The result is a more reliable and predictable support operation at the time of year when reliability is most needed.

Less “Can You Describe What You See?” Confusion

One of the most visible differences between a traditional call center and a cobrowse-enabled contact center is the interaction style itself. The familiar “Can you describe what you see?” loop is more than just a minor annoyance; it is a structural inefficiency that inflates handle time and degrades the customer experience.

During peak season, customers are often distracted, multitasking, and under time pressure. They may be shopping on a mobile device while commuting or standing in a store line. Asking them to narrate every line of text or icon on the screen is both unrealistic and frustrating. Misunderstandings are inevitable: what looks obvious to the customer may not match how internal documentation describes it, and vice versa.

With Samesurf Cobrowsing, this friction disappears. When the agent can see the screen, there is no need for lengthy descriptions. Instead of asking the customer to find settings, the agent can show them. Instead of explaining where a button is, the agent can highlight it directly through Samesurf Cobrowsing. Instead of asking whether the customer sees a certain error, the agent can see it themselves.

This shift has a subtle but important impact on tone. The interaction becomes more collaborative and less interrogative. The customer does not feel tested or blamed for not knowing technical language. They feel guided. During a stressful season, that change in tone can make the difference between a one-time buyer and a returning customer.

Traditional Phone Support vs. Samesurf Cobrowsing

Consider two organizations facing the same December surge in demand.

The first operates a traditional phone-only call center. Customers encounter difficulties in checkout, promo application, or account access and call in. The queue lengthens as agents work through long diagnostic conversations. Hold times increase. Some customers hang up before reaching an agent. Others finally connect, only to struggle through multi-step instructions. A portion of these interactions end without a fully confirmed resolution, leading to repeat calls and unresolved frustration. For every successfully resolved case, multiple potential sales are lost in the process.

The second organization runs a cobrowse-enabled contact center built on Samesurf Cobrowsing. When customers encounter problems, they see an option to talk to an agent who can view and navigate the page with them. Calls and chats are still required, but they are streamlined. The moment the Samesurf Cobrowsing session begins, the agent has full context. They guide the customer through checkout in real time, verify that the order is placed, and close the interaction with confidence. Average handle time is lower, first contact resolution is higher, and both metrics hold steady even as volume spikes. Agents are less overwhelmed because each interaction is more focused and productive.

In short, the traditional center relies on explanation and guesswork, while the Samesurf Cobrowsing–enabled center relies on shared visibility and collaboration. During the December rush, the second model is far better aligned with customer expectations and operational realities.

Moving from Phone-Centric Support to Samesurf Cobrowsing

Transitioning from a phone-centric model to a cobrowse-enabled contact center does not require abandoning voice support. Instead, Samesurf Cobrowsing should be layered into existing processes as a high-impact enhancement, particularly for journeys that are critical during peak season.

Agents can be trained to recognize when a Samesurf Cobrowsing session will resolve an issue faster than continued verbal explanation and to invite the customer into that session proactively. Customers can be reassured that sensitive information will remain protected, with clear messaging about how Samesurf Cobrowsing works and what is and is not visible to the agent.

Over time, organizations that adopt Samesurf Cobrowsing will find that their peak-season performance stabilizes. Handle times become more predictable, FCR improves, and customer satisfaction scores rise even under heavy load. Instead of seeing December as a period of unavoidable chaos, these companies can treat it as an opportunity to demonstrate exceptional service at scale.

In an era where online experiences are judged against the best in the market, relying solely on traditional phone support during the busiest time of year is a strategic risk. Samesurf Cobrowsing offers a more precise, efficient, and customer-friendly model, one that aligns with how people actually shop and seek help during the holiday rush, and one that consistently beats phone support when it matters most. the relationship between customer and brand at the exact moment when it matters most.

Visit samesurf.com to learn more or go to https://www.samesurf.com/request-demo to request a demo today.