The coronavirus pandemic COVID-19 has affected every aspect of our daily lives and business; with the whole world going into lockdown. Since the end of April, 2020 some countries are slowly easing restrictions and opening up to a changed new world. Consumer habits and priorities all have changed within a short period of time. Safety has become the number one priority and new legislations are announced nearly on a daily basis to protect all of us.
Customer experience improvement programs have to be adapted to reflect the new reality and include COVID-19 prevention measures. The way we do business in any form of retail, leisure, entertainment, hotel, transport needs to be adjusted to the changed environment and rapid reinvention is the key to success. What should businesses do to protect themselves, the consumer and their reputation? How do you meet your consumers at a safe distance?
Many companies have taken the time over the last couple of months to invest in training, operational process reviews and their value proposition. COVID-19 related standards, such as social distancing and a rigorous hygiene protocol, are likely to be most important to consumers. Companies that adjust and enforce these new demands quickly will be winning consumer trust and confidence. Although countries and various sectors are in different stages, preparation is essential to re-start successfully. Mystery shopping is the key driver to change frontline methods and procedures, recognizing outstanding performance and identifying areas of improvement.
Considering a simple 4-part action plan, will help you gain consumer trust and confidence.
- Review. Collect consumer feedback to understand new priorities.
- Plan. Deliver training and coaching to embed these with your frontline employees.
- Act. Start mystery shopping to reinforce these priorities by measuring with speed and accuracy at the point of customer contact. Implement mystery shopping to your online business to ensure a coherent customer experience.
- Be Aware. Customers will take their business elsewhere, if they do not feel safe in your business environment.
We are here to help you prepare for the new customer experience needs to achieve an excellent experience in these challenging and unprecedented times. Contact us for details here.
