Black Friday is the final exam for companies: those lacking a service culture fail in front of the customer

In November, Brazilian retail is preparing for the biggest test of the year, and not just in sales volume. toward João Paulo Ribeiro, CEO of the Inove Group and customer-centric organization culture expert Black Friday has become the main thermometer of business coherence. “ The date is the true test of coherence of the companies. When service fails, marketing loses value at the same time”, says the executive.

The assessment is not rhetorical. In 2024, according to a survey by the Opinion Box, consumers' 72% said they had stopped buying from a brand after an unsatisfactory service during the promotion period. In the same survey, 68% stated that good service is the main factor of loyalty, exceeding even price and delivery time. For Ribeiro, the numbers show that the success of Black Friday does not depend only on the commercial strategy, but on the internal culture that sustains the relationship with the customer.

With 14 years of experience in service and organizational culture, the executive leads the Inove Group, a consultancy with a national and international presence, which has already impacted more than 500,000 people and served more than 100 companies in different sectors. The Company acts in the redesign of service journeys and in the training of leaders capable of aligning technology, purpose and empathy in contact with the consumer.

“During Black Friday, the company is exposed in real time. Everything that was promised in campaigns is put to the test in SAC, chat, WhatsApp and social networks. The client perceives in seconds if there is coherence between the discourse and the practice”, explains Ribeiro.

According to a survey by FGV Projetos, 62% of Brazilian companies still treat the service as a cost center, and not as a strategic asset. This model, in Ribeiro's view, is what prevents many brands from turning large dates into opportunities for loyalty. “ The error is in thinking that service is an operation. Service is living culture. If it fails, the institutional discourse collapses”, he says.

Black Friday also highlights the impact of team management. According to the consultancy McKinsey & Company, companies that integrate organizational culture and customer experience increase satisfaction rates by up to 20% and reduce conflicts in high-volume interactions by 35%. Inove, which was recently recognized with the award for best customer service, has been guiding medium-sized companies to invest not only in automation, but also in training and well-being of the teams.

“ The employee who serves the customer is the most visible voice of the brand. If he is exhausted, without autonomy or poorly trained, this appears immediately in the service”, explains Ribeiro. He highlights that Inove has helped companies create contingency plans for demand spikes and develop CX leaderships based on active listening.

In a scenario of saturation of offers and high consumer expectations, the specialist reinforces that the organizational culture is the true competitive differential. “Black Friday does not forgive inconsistencies. It is the moment when the customer sees if the brand he admires also respects him. And if you don't see it, you won't come back”, he concludes.