Happy Dussehra: Ten Festive Questions Every Customer Asks, Answered Before They Ask

Shubh Vijayadashami, and a very happy Dussehra from all of us at Pivra.

Today, from Ramlila grounds in Delhi to the Dasara processions of Mysuru and Bijoya Dashami in Kolkata, India celebrates the same idea in many languages: the truth wins in the end. Ravana falls, Mahishasura is defeated, and families sit down together for something sweet.

For millions of Indian businesses, Dussehra is also the start of the busiest stretch of the year. The festive season brings new customers, new orders and a lot of questions, many of them arriving late at night, when the shop is closed and you are finally at home with your family.

So in the spirit of the day, we would like to offer a small, practical gift.

Ravana had ten heads. Your festive customers have ten questions.

Whether you sell sweets, saris, electronics, home services or tuition, the same questions come in again and again during the festive season. Write the answers down once, before the rush, and you will save hours of replies.

1. "Are you open on the festival days?" List your exact festive timings, including the days you are closed.
2. "What is the last date to order for delivery before the festival?" Give a clear cut-off for each city or area you serve.
3. "Is the festive offer still on?" State what the offer is, the dates it runs and any conditions. If an offer has ended, say so plainly.
4. "Do you have this in stock?" Say how customers can check stock, or who they should contact, rather than promising what you cannot see.
5. "Can I book a slot?" For services such as cleaning, repairs, salons or photography, say how booking works and how far ahead slots fill.
6. "Do you accept UPI or cards?" List the payment methods you take.
7. "Do you do gift packing or bulk orders?" Corporate and family gifting is huge this season. Say what you offer and how to ask for a quote.
8. "What is your return or exchange policy during the sale?" Festive returns cause the most arguments, so write the rule clearly.
9. "Where exactly are you, and is there parking?" Add your address, landmarks and any festival traffic advice.
10. "Can I talk to a person?" Always give a way to reach a human, and a realistic time for a reply.

Answer these ten and you have defeated most of the repetitive work of the season, before it starts.

Let the truth win in your customer conversations too

Dussehra is about truth beating falsehood, and that is a good rule for customer service as well. During a busy season it is tempting to reply quickly with a guess: "Yes, it's in stock," "Yes, it will arrive by Diwali." A wrong answer can cost you the customer, and their family's trust along with them.

A better habit is simple: only answer from what you actually know, and hand over when you do not.

That is also how we built Pivra for business. You train the chatbot on your own website and documents, such as your festive timings, offer terms and delivery cut-offs, and it answers customer questions from that information, at any hour. When a customer wants to buy, book or ask for a quote, it captures their details for you. When it does not know, or the customer asks for a person, it hands the conversation over to you. It does not make up offers, stock levels or delivery dates.

On the Business plan, the same chatbot can answer on WhatsApp as well as on your website, which matters in India, where so many customers start with a WhatsApp message.

A five-minute festive checklist

Before the next order comes in:

• Put your festive timings and closed days at the top of your website and your WhatsApp Business profile.
• Write your ten festive answers in one simple document.
• Update anything that changes, such as offers, cut-offs and stock notes, the moment it changes.
• Decide who will reply to customers who need a person, and when.
• After the season, read back what customers asked. Next year's ten questions are hiding in there.

If you would like an assistant to answer those questions for you, you can start free and train it on your own festive information in an afternoon.

From all of us at Pivra

Thank you to every shop owner, tradesperson, teacher, maker and founder working through the festival so that others can celebrate it. We hope the season brings you good business, good health and good time with the people you love.

Shubh Dussehra. May goodness and truth win, in your life and in your business.

The Pivra Team