Solution Guru @ Simplify360 - 4 min read
Customer service during the time of the Corona pandemic has become a huge challenge in the last month. We have seen the global Customer service industry run headlong into a once in a generation disruption. This has put best laid business continuity plans (BCP) plans to rest.
This means you need to think fast, act quickly and cut losses where applicable.
1. Increased customer interactions online:
While many industries have ground to a halt – brick n mortar, apparel, and so on. Other industries are being inundated by online conversations
Key:
- Undertake a remote workforce planning exercise to see how you can redeploy resources into managing these conversations. Also talk to counterparts in countries where the effect has lessened or not happened (ex: NZ) to get the heads in.
- Create a workflow to account for the increased traffic. Let your end customers know via notifications and status updates if you are treating certain queries on priority
- Plan for partial lift in the lockdown for 6 months or so at the very least
- Get in a digital engagement partner willing to ride the journey with you
2. Clear, concise messaging:
It is very easy to get lost in brand messaging that with new changes in customer policies (extension of EMI dates, waivers on mortgages and so on). It is essential to rally your workforce to reply well, consistently and clearly.
Key:
- Get comms involved and allow them to set templates that can be personalized by your foot soldiers
- Come up with out of the box solutions by rewarding people who are closest to the process, the agents to come up with process changes that might help you yet be profitable
3. New business models to address COVID-19 concerns:
Many of our clients have found new ways of working by addressing hygiene to staff, partners and customers
Key:
- No touch deliveries and courier services
- Transportation companies joining delivery services to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
4. Automate, automate, and automate:
Automation, especially in new age channels such as WhatsApp, with a regional twist, will reignite customer engagement while allowing you to reduce the cost of operations.
Key:
- Choose your channel -WhatsApp, in-app, website, Viber, WeChat
- Choose your audience set
- And choose a use case list that can be staggered for deployment over a 5-week window (some products, including Simplify360 allow you to go live in a week or less)
5. Use the downtime to plan:
Some of our large enterprise customers are using this time to catch up on transformational activities.
Key:
- Plan high impact high value activities even if your industry is shut now, when it opens it might take some time to become 100% operational.
- Focus on cutting edge tech – Machine learning, NLP, AI, and how to embed it in your CX process (we are offering free consulting to help you sail through the Corona virus crisis! So do hit us up by reaching out to us for a Free CX consulting)
Other quick resources to help plan your physical workspaces after the lockdown is lifted partially.
Anyway, this author would like to wish you all the very best. Stay safe, stay strong and I am confident that the customer service industry will beat the corona virus pandemic together.