The pandemic has either created or magnified a myriad of problems for manufacturers, distributors, and businesses all across the world. Supply is constrained and delayed, and costs have risen dramatically. Add to this the labor shortage, and businesses are left scrambling to find a way to tread water, let alone profit. One casualty of this mess has been customer service, and as Arianne Cohen, writing for Bloomberg Businessweek, observes, customers are noticing and losing patience.
That may sound like customers are becoming petulant or are unreasonably self-entitled, but as Cohen notes, “A Covid excuse shirks responsibility while communicating the problem in the form of an excuse, akin to business owners ‘simply giving up and letting customers suffer […] It has never been OK to blame the pandemic for poor service.’” Indeed, excuses “are not the bailiwick of successful entrepreneurs—who are, by definition, problem solvers.” In other words, customers aren’t so much blaming businesses for these worldwide problems, but they’re growing tired of what looks like defeatism.
Cohen goes on to explain that a Covid excuse “creates a messaging problem because it’s likely deceitful: Customers are now savvy to the fact that supply chain, safety, and staffing challenges are well-established market conditions—not sudden pandemic blows.” Now, deceitful may be a bit strong, as the problems are still quite real, but it’s important to not allow these market conditions to dictate your customer service quality. Instead of making excuses, we all have to find ways to take ownership of the situation.
The first step is maximizing transparency: “It’s all right to tell customers that employees are in quarantine, or a manufacturer in Asia is in lockdown. These are all legitimate situations, and can be communicated in ways that position you as savvy.” More importantly, “’This makes you an informative authority of the entire area, so customers stop shopping around.’” The next step is to take responsibility, explaining how your business will make it right for the sake of the customer. “Whatever the business conditions, the solution is to pursue a myopic focus on customer needs. ‘It’s all about ensuring customers don’t suffer.’”
Communication. Understanding. Appreciation. These three facets of customer service are perhaps more important now than at any time in memory. Businesses that shrug their shoulders and point the finger at Covid as the source of their shortcomings will soon lose their customers to competitors who are themselves unwilling to compromise on the customer experience. “It’s all doing, rather than excusing.”
Now is as an important a time as any to double-down on your CX with maximum customer-service quality and top employee training. And we at The Brandt Group are here to help. Reach out today, and let’s work together to find answers rather than excuses. Our world-class mystery shopping and training seminars will help empower you and your staff to face the challenges of the here and now, and any that lie ahead. A better customer experience, together—now that sounds like a great New Year’s resolution!
Happy New Year! May 2022 bring us all peace and prosperity!
