their teams, more often than not from
remote locations with the barriers of
screens through which communication
through technological devices is had.
As organizations are a constitution of
people and not of branded buildings,
a reality that has dawned with clarity
given the work-from-home/stay-at-home
to flatten-the-curve global clarion call
uptake, then the need to look out for the
wellbeing of the internal customer is the
imperative.
Team members need emotional,
psychological and even physical support
to get through this season and figure
out how to adapt to the drastic change.
Those responsible for staff welfare need
to be proactive about communicating
with staff, finding out about their mental
and physical health, and providing the
necessary advice and support.
The dictates of customer experience
excellence aver that the internal customer
is more important than the external
customer. A principle that many an
organizational board and leadership find
counter intuitive but when abided by,
produces results that transform culture
and output.
At this time therefore the internal
customer service provided will most
definitely determine the resilience with
which teams will pull together to keep
things afloat, generate innovative ideas
to salvage the situation and reach out to
customers to keep things alive and going.
Strategists hypothesize that this is the
test of all time, and that Covid-19 is the
litmus test against which employees will
pit their employers to assess the level of
internal attention, and ascertain whether
the care for their internal teams is lip
service or real. The first commandment of
customer experience leadership in a time
of crisis, is to take care of selves before
taking care of others.
Are We Taking Care Of Our
Customers?
There’s been a big debate about brands
riding on the Covid-19 situation to
create advertising copy purporting to be
empathetic to customers and positioning
themselves as caring brands. Customers
have so seen through these fake messages,
and the net effect of the communication
gone wrong, is that they have called out
Strategists hypothesize that this is the
test of all time, and that Covid-19 is the
litmus test against which employees will
pit their employers to assess the level of
internal attention, and ascertain whether
the care for their internal teams is lip
service or real. The first commandment of
customer experience leadership in a time
of crisis, is to take care of selves before
taking care of others.
these inauthenticities for what they are.
What brands set out to do to endear
themselves to customers in a time of crisis
has backfired on them and led to an even
further rift. This then brings to the fore the
mission critical matter of communicating
with customers and stakeholders, and the
nature of communication to put out.
It is important to be truthful with customers
and partners, share the current state of the
business and provide information on the
directions and next steps. Customers are
fully aware that it is not business-as-usual
and want to know what is happening to
the brands they know and care about. They
want to know what changes are being
made and how these changes will affect
them and their patronage.
This is not the time to cover up and
pretend, as communication designed to
pull wool over customers’ eyes is now
under more scrutiny than ever. Customers
are receiving messages from all sources
and can tell those that are designed as hot
air. Comparative analysis is happening,
as customers suddenly have much more
time on their hands to stop and read the
messages coming to them via all sorts of
online channels, and to figure out which
ones are genuine and which ones are ‘PR’.
Customers are looking out for what
concessions can be made, how, and when
these can be passed on to them. They are
looking out for how brands are responding
to the crises and carrying their customers
along with them. They are also looking for
increased channels of communication to
respond to their enquiries, concerns and
worries. Most importantly though, they
are looking for a space to commiserate and
receive empathy.
It’s brands that walk and work with
customers to find win-win solutions that
will withstand the gusts that the billowing
wind of change of Covid-19 has blasted,
and find their customers still standing
with them as it tapers off. The second
commandment of customer experience
leadership in a time of crisis is to take
care of customers and not take them for
granted in a bid for self-preservation.
Are We Taking Care Of Our
Future?
Will Covid-19 make or break the future
of the company? Are the customer
journey maps created for establishment
of experience expectations and service
standards at each touch-point still valid?
Will customers continue to consume
goods and services in the same way once
the pandemic eases its stranglehold on the
world?
These are some of the customer focused
questions that organizations must dwell
on and re-engineer as appropriate. Some of
the innovations hurriedly being assembled
will hold forever, and some will be but a
passing cloud.
The most important bit is to find out from
the customers their sentiments on changes
being made, new products and services
being introduced and new channels being
set to reach them. It is only the customers
that will determine what will work for or
against them and the voice of the customer
is truly important at this time.
It is crucial that decision making
mechanisms are re-organized in a way
that swift decisions can be made to
accommodate critical changes needed to
respond to customer needs. The long term
strategic goals and targets that were set pre
Covid-19 need quick review and re-work
to shorter term targets that are assessed
almost on a daily, weekly, fortnightly or at
most monthly basis.
Having an ear on the ground to respond
to legislative and environmental changes
should be a designated responsibility
to enable informed decision making.
Benchmarking is equally as important
to glean from like-minded or similar
established players, in order to pick what
works, enhance it and deploy for action.
It is at this time as well that partnerships
are essential. The customer convenience
train will stall at stations if the carriages
of partnership are not appended to ensure
seamless passage. Brands should look out
for partners that have strengths in areas
that are not their core business, but have
emerged necessary in the journey towards
product and service delivery to customers.
All this whilst maintaining safety and
regulatory compliance.
What previously was a non-issue for
customers, where common amenities,
tools and service delivery points, as well
as people contact were not deemed life
threatening, has become a do or die
Affordable living that’s
comfortably accomodating.
situation. Some customer journey maps
will require a complete overhaul to
provide re-assurance to stakeholders in
the immediate, and longer term.
The third commandment of customer
experience leadership in a time of crisis
At 3Dee we pride ourselves on the personal attentive services
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Off Ngong Road.
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The customer convenience
train will stall
at stations if the carriages
of partnership
are not appended to
ensure seamless passage.
Brands should
look out for partners
that have strengths
in areas that are not
their core business,
but have emerged
necessary in the journey
towards product
and service delivery
to customers.
www.3dee.co.ke
is to map the customer journey of the
future and put in place systems and
structures in the current to ensure business
sustainability.
Albert Einstein is famously quoted
as having said that “The measure of
intelligence is the ability to change”.
It follows therefore, that business
intelligence is a KPI of top leadership. The
ability to put customers at the center of
the leadership strategy to win the battle
against the Covid-19 crisis, would then
be considered as the highest measure of
intelligence! Wouldn’t it?
Carolyne Gathuru is the founder and
director of strategy at LifeSkills
Consulting. She has several years of
experience in customer experience
strategy development and training.
You can commune with her on
this or related issues via mail at:
[email protected].
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