BY Rachel Cagle
Is your customer service where you’d like it to be? Even if it is, this pandemic has changed everything. Your clients are now spending the majority of their time at home with no clear separation from work anymore. They’re worried about the economy, how their company is handling the changes of the social distancing society, and they have more time to dwell on how satisfied they are with your customer service. The extra time on their hands may lead to dissatisfaction. Don’t let that happen.
The first step in improving your customer service during the pandemic is to make your outreach more proactive than ever, says Paul Selby, writing for CustomerThink. Let your clients know that you’re still available to them whenever they have a need. If you’ve extended your customer service options or hours, highlight those positive changes. Also, “Include links to the relevant knowledge base articles that provide greater detail of any policy changes that would be of interest,” says Selby. Such policy changes include the extension of deadlines for paying bills. If you’re taking steps to make your customers more comfortable in this trying time, make sure they know about your efforts.
You may rely on customer service reps in your company to be your first line of defense when your clients encounter an issue. Even with the extra steps your company is taking to fight the spread of COVID-19, many of your reps may be out sick or tending to sick family members. Selby says that, if this is the case for you, be upfront about it with your clients. “Let them know that customer service is currently struggling, and that patience is requested,” says Selby. “It’s a small thing to prevent customer frustration as well as make agents’ job easier.” If you have online service options, let your clients know about those services, as well.