Customer service is not dead, but it is definitely become challenging during the pandemic. Tensions are high, customers are frustrated, employees are nervous and everyone is tired of COVID-19.
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Nothing is the same as it was pre-pandemic. Because there are fewer shoppers, some clients may feel customer service should be at an all-time high. The reality is that businesses have cut their payrolls, shortened hours of operation, limited the products or services provided, and are dealing with a major loss of income.
But businesses should pay more attention to the consumer’s concerns and, rather than blame every single problem on the pandemic, could try to at least bring customer service back to where it was before COVID-19 hit. While some issues are exacerbated by the pandemic-caused supply chain interruptions, there are others that are not. Slashing the number of employees to a skeleton crew might have been a real pandemic-related issue during the height of the COVID-19 scare, but as restrictions lessen, businesses should try to staff up and restore previous inventories.
Even during a pandemic, there are ways to improve customer service:
- Think about your customer, and put yourself in their shoes. Make sure your end-products are still meeting customer wants and needs. In addition, think about adding customer feedback options on your website, through your marketing emails, and in-store.
- Remember how you treated customers pre-pandemic and raise the bar to remind customers why they chose your business in the first place. Using the pandemic as a reason to let customer service falter will not earn customer loyalty. Remind employees that great customer service is one of the main reasons customers choose one business over another.
- At the same time, assure your employees that they matter to you, and you will invest in and support them. Show them you care by giving them the tools they need to be successful and proud of their work. Employees who know you have their back will be happier, less stressed, and better serve customers.
- Go back to the basics. Never stop practicing the principles of good customer service. Customers have probably experienced minimal customer service in the past few months, so it’s imperative to show them you won’t let them down.
We will pull through, and the businesses that succeed are probably the ones that put customer service at the top of their list. No one can predict the future, but great customer service never goes out of style.
