Adapt in times of crisis

Although the Covid-19 pandemic is a terrible crisis, we could also consider it a period from which we can learn.
It probably has been all hands on deck for you, or maybe it still is. Assuming you have managed to sustain your business, we should be aware that a new crisis may require the same from you; maybe faster than hoped.

Darwin once stated, “It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent. It is the species that responds best to change.” This quote could also be applied to your organization.
Because how resilient is your organisation in times of crisis; specifically in helping your customers?

If you look honestly at your customer experience: was your customer properly assisted in this crisis?
How big was the customer service mailbox during the peak? And have all those customer emails been answered on time?
How long did queued customers have to wait on the phone before they were helped? And were they helped further?

Customer experience
If there was ever a time when customer experience is critical, it is now. Particularly in times of crisis, it can be difficult for a company to maintain customer loyalty. Due to all the uncertainties, a customer will be extra critical in spending his / her money on your product or service. And if one chooses to do so, one may feel extra uncertain whether the expectations will be met. So should a customer feel compelled to call upon one of your service channels, it is very important that customer experience is satisfactorily.

Now is the time to think about this and make adjustments, based on your analysis of how your company is weathering the storm during the  Covid-19 crisis. Where can the process be optimised so that, for example, handling time is shortened and the customer does not have to wait too long, even during peak loads? Which channels are overloaded and require attention? Via which channels can a customer be proactively informed?

KPIs
These are all crucial questions that can significantly increase the customer experience if appropriate analyses are applied. KPI definitions play an important role in the search for answers. Based on such control parameters, you will gain insight into where the optimisation possibilities lie so that your defined KPIs are realised, even in times of crisis. These possibilities do not have to be major changes at all; just a tweak here and there might be sufficient. But without having that insight, you will not know.

So be the kind that responds best to change, as Darwin argues, and look critically at your organization for improvements in customer experience, starting with customer service processes.

And remember, to quote another historical icon: “Never waste a good crisis!”

Should you need any help in this, you know where to find us.