The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses to reconsider the ways in which they operate, especially when it concerns the customer experience. The biggest takeaway from these past few months is that companies are recognizing the need to prioritize their customers over their profits. In fact, a recent study shows that 71% of customers will lose trust in a business if the business puts the bottom line first.
When businesses are customer-focused, customer loyalty grows, and so do sales. Here are some ways businesses are re-evaluating the customer experience.
Ensuring Customer Safety
Customers want to know that businesses are taking the pandemic seriously. This includes taking proper steps to guarantee their customers’ wellbeing. Many businesses are sharing the ways in which they are addressing this. From facial mask requirements (for employees and customers) to in-store social distancing and online ordering guidelines and touchless curbside pickup, businesses are reassuring customers. Businesses that demonstrate a preparedness for handling these challenges and prioritizing customer safety will see an increase in customer faith and loyalty.
Adjusting Contact Center Practices
Even before the virus hit, most customers preferred speaking with a human being when contacting a company. Now that human interaction is extremely limited, customers crave it even more. And businesses are discovering that customers want empathy and understanding from contact center agents. As a result, agents can be more flexible with return policies, payment due dates, and more. These small acts of kindness can have a big impact on reducing customer anxiety.
Responding to Customer Wants and Needs
At the start of the pandemic, items like toilet paper and disinfectant left store shelves quickly. But well-stocked shelves are only one part of the customer experience. Anticipating and preparing for future customer needs is another big piece. By listening to customers and identifying specific trends, businesses can make informed decisions to better reflect the Voice of the Customer. Foresight – not hindsight – is the key to giving customers what they want.
Businesses may be struggling right now, but customers will be their future. Businesses that provide an excellent customer experience show they truly value their customers. And their customers will not forget that when this crisis is over.
Learn more about how to listen to your customers with automated quality monitoring. Contact us, or schedule a demo with a CallFinder Analyst today!
