We all hear the same excuses every day in the world of COVID:
“Sorry to keep you on hold, call queues are longer than usual due to the pandemic.”
“Your parcel may be delayed due to COVID restrictions.”
“We’re unable to offer all service options during pandemic lockdowns.”
At first, these excuses were understandable. We realised that a global pandemic would obviously have some impact on customer service, and we were patient. Now, it’s been almost a year since the first lockdown, and the excuses are getting old.
Consumers are sick and tired of hearing the same lines to explain bad service. By this point, surely organisations should have embraced new strategies, or adjusted their service to suit the new reality? Perhaps it’s time for companies to stop blaming the pandemic for all of their problems and start making a realistic change.
Customers are Tired of Excuses
Throughout the UK, the websites of the biggest brands are all equipped with messages warning consumers to expect long waiting times and delays. The average customer now waits more than 20 minutes to speak to anyone on the phone. It’s starting to feel like teams are using the pandemic as an excuse not to transform CX strategies any faster than necessary.
So, how can companies stop using the pandemic as an excuse? The easy option is to rethink your contact centre strategy. Stop trying to wait for things to get better and adapt for the world as it is now. The CX environment has fundamentally changed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and consumer priorities have shifted too.
Most experts predict that even if we do manage to leave the pandemic behind one of these days, there’ll still be a significant change in the way that we live and work. Organisations need to stop hedging their bets and start investing in the tools that will allow them to support customers now.
Adapting for the New Normal
Companies that embrace the pandemic now can use it as an opportunity to upgrade their CX strategy to something more agile and flexible. Switching from on-premises technology to tools in the cloud will ensure that you can work with remote agents, increasing the number of people available to handle calls. Investing in AI tools and chatbots allows you to offer self-service options to clients that don’t want to wait for an answer to their questions.
It’s time for companies to stop telling customers that they can’t deliver because of the pandemic and start looking at what’s causing the biggest issues for employees and customers. For instance, if you can’t bring the same number of staff members into the office to handle calls, then you might need to look into hiring freelance and remote workers to pick up the numbers.
The pandemic has been around for long enough now that we know there are solutions to common issues out there. Businesses can’t afford to simply hold on and hope for the best anymore. It’s time for every organisation to improvise, adapt, and overcome.
