Three customer service Cs for Covid times

Author: Louise Killough, Client Services Director, The Union

We are living in a new world with what seems like never ending rules, regulations and restrictions.  Businesses are navigating the best they can and doing so with an uncertainty they’ve never felt before, particularly in the travel and tourism industry. And this is especially hard when you’re trying to keep your customer relationships on track.  There are three key guiding principles that The Union follow when working with our clients. We’ve followed these principles for the past 25 years, but we think now they are more important than ever. We hope that these may be of help you in these challenging times. They will certainly be relevant when the market comes back.

COMMUNICATION

Some of our client relationships have lasted over fifteen years. In our industry this is unusually long. How have we managed this? The bedrock of this success is building our relationships on clear, consistent and transparent communication.

Throughout Covid, some businesses have been great at keeping their customers informed at every step of the way. They have been nakedly honest about how they are trying to adapt their businesses. They have been open about their struggles. Most importantly though, they have taken the time to simply give thanks to the customers who have supported them. This honest communication can serve to be not only a stark reminder that, behind the corporate facade there are dedicated people whose livelihoods depend on the customer.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

PWC research showed that 59% of global consumers surveyed felt companies had lost touch with the human element of customer experience. This was before Covid-19.

Now, the many ‘Covid Secure’ rules that businesses need to adhere to add another whole layer of complexity to running a business.

But for some businesses, adhering to the rules has actually improved the customer experience. For example, Waitrose are trialling technology which lets you wait for your turn in the queue from the comfort of your car or home. Saving you waiting out in the cold and rain. They’ve not only found a way to reduce congestion and manage capacity in their stores, but the customer experience will be improved as a result. Some brands are enabling guests to communicate with staff on WhatsApp, so guests can make bookings, leave real-time reviews, and get assistance to queries quickly and easily all through an app they have on their phone already.

Even without investment in technology, customer experience in a Covid-world can be improved easily. You don’t have to bark orders on Covid signage – use it as an opportunity to reveal your humanity and brand tone of voice –  a little clever copywriting can go a long way.

A little squirt of hand sanitiser as you arrive is obviously a reassuring touch. And staff that are genuinely happy to see you – you can tell they are smiling behind their masks. For me, it’s these little things that make a trip out a better experience – you feel that the business is going above and beyond in times of hardship to make YOU feel comfortable and at ease.

CHOICE

Businesses are adapting their models to the new times. We have seen food and drink businesses expand to delivery services throughout lockdown. Many have continued with this approach and developed it further. We’ve seen wholesale wine sellers move into direct consumer deliveries.

A hotel in Sweden recently changed their unoccupied hotel rooms into 67 exclusive pop-up restaurants. Onsen Baths in Japan are getting creative in the face of losing customers overnight – they’ve created an interactive virtual experience so customers can enjoy an immersive experience with sounds of running water, falling cherry blossom petals and breeze amongst bamboo stands, all from the comfort of their homes and wherever they are in the world. Yes please!

The self-catering industry has also taken a massive hit. We’ve seen the introduction of Covid-cancellation policies whereby you can move dates if the restrictions in your area on those dates mean you are unable to stay.  Giving customers more choice in a restricted world is a wonderful surprise, providing reassurance that the business empathises with the customer and has their best interests at the centre of their business.

A recent story of a UK care home brought home how adaptable (and creative) businesses can be. Residents at an elderly care home had always enjoyed travelling on the train, it was a much-looked forward to day out. However, Covid meant that a train trip was no longer possible. The care home staff decided to transform a cupboard into an experiential train journey complete with virtual scenery, a food service delivered by the care home workers, giving the residents a chance to chat with their friends on a train again.

These are challenging times. Particularly for the travel and tourism industry. From a customer perspective, though, making the experience personal and human is more important than ever – customers crave contact, empathy and engagement.

So, three things to think about  – communication, experience and choice.

It doesn’t have to mean a large financial investment: keep communicating even in the tough weeks. Are there ways you can expand customer choice?  And of course, the smile behind the mask is key – the customer sees this. (It’s in the eyes.)

As is often the case in customer service, it’s the little things that can help keep customers by your side, both now and in the future.

Note: The Union has extensive experience delivering marketing campaigns for clients in the tourism and leisure sector. For more information, on the full range of marketing communication services offered by The Union, please visit www.union.co.uk.