Customer Service & Covid: This is an interesting topic. Customer Service has meant many things in the past before Covid. Since Covid, things have changed.
Some companies have really stepped up their customer service by providing different services – adding the option of delivery, curb side pick-up, changing their products or services to provide the utmost customer service. These companies have expanded their customer base and impressed their customers by creating the best atmosphere and environment under the circumstances.
Some companies, not so much. In my opinion, they have gone overboard in their protocol which has actually hindered their customer service, causing great stress and frustration for their customers and losing customers in the process. For example; they have gone to appointment only, no walk-ins but have not provided longer hours or weekend hours to compensate or accommodate their lessened services. By doing appointment only, it limits the amount of customers that can be seen in any given day. When you have to wait almost 6 weeks to make travel arrangements and then miss a seat sale, or take 5 months to get your will revised, wait over a year and a half for a surgery when your eyes are so bad that you have to quit driving and many of life’s simple pleasures while relying on others to help you not knowing if they are taking advantage of your situation or not – you know things are out of whack. Massage and alternative medicine appointments take weeks, if not months to get in.
The above are a few examples of things that have happened to people close to me.
I know that this has been a trying time for everyone, what I am asking you to do is look through your customer's eyes and see if that makes a difference.
Our health and well-being are taking a hit when all of what is happening is done in the name of our health and safety? Really…
Things have gotten a little out of hand, if not a lot out of hand.
I want to applaud those who have taken their customers into consideration and gone above and beyond to create a better environment by providing options for their clients to have the best and utmost service with the least amount of aggravation.
Many things have put people under more stress in the last two years, so going the extra mile to do your part is noticed and appreciated.
I hope that those who have created a more stressful, frustrating environment for their clients can see this and learn from it by changing and making better client based decisions going forward.
Questions to Ponder:
What kind of environment have you created for your clients?
Are there some things that you could do to create a better experience?
Put yourselves in their shoes and see what would make a difference!