In this current period of unrest and disruption, both business and customer alike are sure to feel concerned. Whilst the response will vary across industries, customer needs and behaviours will certainly be altered in the upcoming months.

Therefore, at this time more than ever, it has become essential for businesses to be aware of the customer journey for real time reactions to the global epidemic.
In an ever shifting environment, businesses must be flexible and attuned to the voice of the customer in order to stay ahead of uncharted customer pain points that surface in response to the pandemic.
Below we discuss focus points for businesses to surpass customer expectations and maintain innovation in the face of a global shift.

Listening to VOC

Customers are constantly communicating their perspectives to brands on their own accord through a variety of mediums, from surveys and email, to social media and website browsing patterns. Each signal has a meaning that can help build CX strategies.

For instance, a spike in web traffic on cancellation pages may signal that customers are concerned about the future of their service in light of the outbreak and want to know what protections are in place should they need to amend their order. Upfront communication of these protections could also remove a barrier-to-purchase for prospects. It is vital that these signals are analysed to increase responsiveness and the ability to pre-empt future customer behaviours. Social media can serve as a great gauge for sentiment and because of its spontaneous nature it can help companies refocus actions in near real time. To be effective at social listening, the right keywords and phrases need to be flagged. This can include various phrases relevant to the virus and brand relevant words such as the company name, key stakeholders, products and product categories.

Supply Chain Planning & Digital Channels

Sophisticated analytics technologies such as machine learning can be very helpful in identifying shifts in buying patterns to bolster decision-making. This will inform inventory forecasting, product manufacturing and warehouse activities. This visibility will enhance the agility of a business to not only react quickly, but to pre-empt any disruptions to supply. For instance, brands may plan to prepare for more reliance on digital channels or voice rather than face-to-face channels in coming weeks in response to the outbreak and instructions to self-quarantine. This could lead to companies deciding to prepare added internal resourcing to field an influx in enquiries over the phone, email or via social channels. Live chat pop-ups could be added to certain high-traffic webpages to allow chatbots and virtual assistants to shoulder any additional customer care burdens that arise due to the epidemic. As well as using analytics measures, organizations should stay in close communication with stakeholders. Efficient issue escalation protocols will ensure information moves swiftly to the right people, allowing stakeholders to prepare contingency plans. Should a full product or resource shortage or disruption hit, this groundwork will minimize the effects and distribute resources wisely.

Communication with employees and frontline staff

Both internal and external communication measures should be mindful of the current climate, as decisions here can have a lasting impact on customer loyalty. After the Fukushima disaster in 2011, the swift operation of convenience stores restocking basic goods was met by gratitude of Japanese consumers. Be sure that your brand’s external communications are level-headed, demonstrate empathy and are rooted in facts. Avoid irresponsible marketing ploys that are angled to take advantage of the situation. Arm frontline staff with tools and resources in real time on what your brand is doing for customers in light of the evolving global health emergency. This will put employees in a position to bring value to your customers rather than being left without anything to say. To build these resources, listen to your contact centres for visibility on the sorts of queries being asked. This strategy links into one of the core values of employee experience. As Fred Reichheld, the creator of the Net Promoter Score (NPS), said in an interview with CX Network, employee experience is about “…. helping your employees’ lead great lives of meaningful service”. “What you can do as a boss is be accountable for putting teams in a position to win for their customers,” Reichheld remarked “This not only creates economic success, it creates the inspirational environment where people feel like they’re living the right life if they’re in a job where they are consistently doing things that customers love and making customers’ lives better.” To keep ahead of your customers, not only should a minimum expectation be met, but innovation must be continuous.

To read the full article, please click here.

Now more than ever it is vital to stay ahead and provide a seamless customer journey. Supercharge, Disrupt & Re-imagine customer delivery at CCW Europe 05 – 08 October 2020.

Join us in Barcelona! Check out the preliminary agenda to find out more.