Customer Service Takeaways From COVID-19

As people and businesses try to adapt to a new normal while dealing with the global breakout of COVID-19, reliable customer service has become more important than ever. Customers want reassurance that their needs will be adequately met and that your company will keep them updated on any necessary changes in products or policies.

Here are some top tips for staying on top of your customer service efforts during these challenging times.

1. Keep Your Website Updated and Easy to Navigate

One of the first places customers go for information is your website. By keeping your website updated, you can minimize an overflow of calls about out-of-date information. An updated website enables your customers to do the work for you, allowing them to find what they need to know without having to call or email. In turn, the workload on your customer service representatives will be lessened.

You’ll also want to make sure that your website is easy to navigate. Having updated information on your website won’t make a difference if your customers can’t find that information. Now is an excellent time to confirm that your website has an intuitive, easy-to-use design and to make any necessary adjustments.

2. Be Available for Your Customers With Clear Communication

When your customers call or email, they must receive timely and relevant responses. If your company is experiencing a high volume of calls and emails, let your customers know. And if you can’t provide thorough service promptly, give them a date by which they can expect to receive more in-depth assistance, if they can wait.

For managing phone calls, make sure that when you connect a customer to a different line, someone will be there to answer. If there is no one currently handling that other line, let the customer know in advance that they will be transferred to voicemail, and make sure someone gets back to them quickly.

For tackling emails, ensure that customer emails are answered with as many specific details as possible. Sending vague or off-topic responses will leave your customers with more questions, which may result in more emails, phone calls and lost business. If your inbox is overflowing, try setting up an automatic reply with a response timeframe so your customers know when they can expect to hear back from you.

3. Provide Updates

When it comes to customer service, providing your customers with updates is essential. Customers will feel forgotten if they don’t hear from you regularly about the status of their unfulfilled requests. Even if you don’t have new information to share, let them know that your efforts are still in progress to reassure them that you are working hard to get what they need.

4. Be Flexible

Remember that we are all living through unprecedented times, and being as kind and flexible as possible can go a long way. Active listening and empathetic language are more valuable to customers now than ever before.

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