Businesses across the world have come to a standstill due to the spread of the deadly Coronavirus. While some businesses that fall under essential service providers are still operating at limited staff capacity, others are managing with their staff working from home. The customer support industry is facing a lot of challenges in these times as most of these companies had not adapted to the work from home model. In countries like India where the govt had earlier not allowed BPO companies’ staff to work from home, now they too have relaxed regulations to allow their staff to handle customer’s calls from home.

With many businesses not able to cater to their customers, the customers are in a lot of stress about their services and how their issues would get resolved with many companies’ support staff working in a limited capacity. This actually puts more pressure on the support staff that is working. Calls with panicking customers are on the rise and companies have to face the challenge that how can they maintain their customer’s positive experience in the time of COVID-19.

Here are some steps that can help you maintain or improve your customers’ experience in these times –

Reach out to customers proactively

When you know that there are some services that you may not be able to provide your customers with, do not wait for them to call you to complain. Proactively reach out to them via phone calls, emails, text messages and whatever methods you can think of. Understand the challenges they are facing and explain to them that you are doing everything possible to get things moving in the right direction. Positive reassurances are crucial for your customers to know that your company is still working for them.

Be Empathetic

Empathy has always had a crucial role in customer service. Now more than ever, it is needed. Make your customers feel like you really understand what they are going through. Do not make false promises to them that you know you cannot keep. Give them practical solutions to their issues and if you cannot help them with an issue, request them to remain patient while you find a solution.

Pivot Your CX Strategy

Different situations call for different strategies. Even if before this crisis your customer support/experience strategy was on point, it may not be so today. After understanding all the new challenges that your customers are facing and the challenges being faced by your own team, come up with a new plan of attack that is customized for this global environment we are all operating in.

Support Your Team Wherever Possible

Your customer support team is going to be under a lot of pressure. You need to make sure that their concerns are understood as well as taken care of. You cannot expect your team to help your customers through this difficult situation while they themselves are feeling uncertain about their future and working conditions. If your team is working from home, understand what challenges they are facing and how your company can help them through it.

For staff that is coming to the office, make sure their health is a top priority and they have all things necessary to stay safe and hygienic.

Summing Up

When times are tough, that is when our customer experience teams need to be at their best to be there for the customers. Good CX provided now will go a long way in maintaining customer loyalty once the world moves out of this global crisis.