Companies large and small in all industries have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and quite often it’s forced them to do more with less. How can you maintain customer service while ensuring the flow and speed of operations remains as close to “normal” as possible? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Communicate often. If your phone lines are flooded with calls or your website inundated with emails, acknowledge that. Add a greeting to your on-hold message or add a pop up on your website or even automated tools like chatbots. It doesn’t have to be formal or long. Just say something to the effect of, “Due to COVID-19, we are experiencing a high volume of customer inquiries. We appreciate your patience and we will respond in the order received.” A little kindness and empathy goes a long way!
Go the extra mile. Right now, people’s budgets and patience are wearing thin. What can you do to take the pressure off? Forgive late fees? Distribute a list of resources in the communities which you serve? Make a donation to a charitable cause? Such efforts don’t go unnoticed when people are struggling.
Collaborate. You may be tempted to cancel or limit all-staff meetings or communications in an effort to curb distractions, but this isn’t the time to do so. It’s critical that everyone is on the same page about how to address questions or concerns. Plus, this is the time to express gratitude and boost morale. Many people feel stretched thin, but a simple “thank you” can really wow teams.
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