5 Tips for Better Customer Experience During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only changed the way we do business, but it has dramatically impacted our everyday lives. Customers all over the world are now living, shopping, and consuming content differently, and experienced business leaders know that their companies need to adapt to every change and trend. Adapting quickly is the only way to retain customers, obtain new ones, and keep your business afloat in uncertain times. 

If you adapt the right way and focus on the things that matter to your customers, you can even expect to take your business forward despite the pandemic and the economic downturns. Of course, the foundational pillar of success and growth during the pandemic is customer experience and satisfaction.

Your focus should be on maintaining or elevating the customer’s experience to drive loyalty, but also achieve your marketing, sales, and support goals. Let’s take a look at the five key tips you can use to achieve better customer experience.

Connect with and care for your customers

First and foremost, understand that the pandemic has brought uncertainty and confusion into the lives of your customers. People are unsure how to act, how best to protect themselves, where to shop and how to interact with brands. In fact, they are unsure about a lot of things right now, and they are looking for guidance, support, as well as compassion. The brands that understand and act on these motivators are the ones that will create a deep, meaningful connection with their customers.

For this and many other reasons, now is the time to adapt your marketing, support, and communication strategies to focus on connecting with your target demographic. Reach out to your customers not to sell, but to check in. Reach out to provide support and understanding, and let them know that your brand is here for them. There are many ways you can do this within the scope of your work and industry, from payment reliefs to education, from donations to charitable organizations all the way to free products and complementary services.

Change the way you deliver your products and services

The new normal has thrown the old playbook out the window, and nowadays you have to align your operation to the new needs of your customers. Again, keep in mind that many are scared and confused, and that their top priority right now is to stay healthy and keep their loved ones safe. 

With that in mind, it’s imperative that you meet your customers where they are and provide your products in a way that suits their current needs. This means taking your offering into the digital world and allowing customers to interact and buy from you in the digital realm.

It also means delivering your products and services to your customers’ homes and enabling contactless delivery to keep them safe. In your physical offices and stores, you need to implement touch-free solutions and systems that will motivate customers to come by knowing that they are not exposed to any COVID-related risks.

Manage and organize your workforce to enhance CX

Of course, it’s not just about investing in your customer-related processes, it’s also about investing in your internal processes to enhance the customer experience from within. In other words, you can’t expect your customers to be happy if you’re constantly unavailable, understaffed, or if your employees are overworked. Now more than ever before, the customers need stability and to be able to rely on your brand. 

To that end, it’s important to track time and attendance with the right software that allows you to make detailed work rosters, organize your workforce, and create schedules that ensure productivity and efficiency. Most importantly, you need to leverage the right software to prevent understaffing and stay flexible should an employee suddenly call in sick – you should be able to optimize your roster quickly to fill in any gaps and ensure customer happiness.

Help your customers adopt digital channels

Speaking of making sure that your customers can rely on your brand, another area you need to invest in is digital education. Keep in mind that not everyone knows how or is willing to use the digital channels where you are promoting or selling your products, so you need to educate your audience to adopt digital transformation in the new normal. 

Reaching out to notify them of any changes to your operation and processes and what new digital channels you’re using is paramount, but you need to go a step further. Take the time to explain to your customer step-by-step how to use these channels and make yourself available to address any concerns they might have.

Stay on top of customer data to remain agile

Lastly, always make sure to monitor the trends and fluctuations in customer behavior. You need to create detailed reports regularly to ascertain your position in the competitive market, gauge the sentiment of your customers towards your brand, and identify opportunities for growth. 

Be sure to survey your current customers , leverage data from your CRM system, as well as other analytics tools to derive meaningful insights about the state of the customers and your brand. This way, you’ll remain agile and able to adapt on a moment’s notice.

 

Wrapping up

Companies around the world are facing a tough task nowadays – keeping their customers happy. In the new normal, your focus should be on supporting your customers in difficult times, but also managing your workforce more efficiently ensure your customers can always rely on your brand.