May 27, 2021
Physical distance during Covid-19 is creating stronger human ties in society. This is the time which can build long-lasting customer loyalty or break it. During a time of unprecedented challenge Customer Communication Management (CCM) means reaching out and the pandemic is no exception.
Your CCM strategy today can create a lasting effect on customer trust. When the world is forced into isolation, business identity means how they deliver customer experience (CX) based on empathy, care, and concern. This can be achieved through maintaining effective customer communications. You need sound knowledge about the changing dynamics and new areas of challenge through digital innovation. A CCM solution can help in providing the right messages to your customers based on customer interaction data collected from various sources like social media, chats and/or emails. This will help create value in the high-priority areas and ensure a competitive edge in future.
The word future is important when we talk about competition. The prime requirement of the hour is care and support. The good part is that you can do create a solid customer loyalty with your existing CCM tools and technology without hurting the revenue. If you do not have one then it is time to adapt.
This blog describes a few steps businesses can take towards a more caring CCM strategy during and after Covid-19.
Offer genuine support with the CCM tools to provide people with the extra information, guidance, and support they need. A business can provide the resource customers can trust and feel safe amidst all the uncertainty. A McKinney study showed that 64% of customers choose to buy from socially responsible brands. This has increased during the pandemic. A business’s stand regarding customers, employees, and community is expected to leave long-term memories in customer minds.
Supply-chain bottlenecks are posing a significant challenge in getting essentials to customers. Adapt digital solutions like CCM to and revamp e-commerce. According to Chaira Bertoletti, COO of Linkedin, Italy, the eCommerce sales for consumer products rose by 81% in a single week after adopting digital solutions. Since the customers are confined at home, even the “digitally resistant” customers can become eCommerce buyers.
The isolation economy prompts businesses to bring product and services at doorstep. CCM solutions not only help you showcase your business through any channel, it also helps you assure your customers through proper messages about the safety procedures you are taking.
A part of the customer journey is still through a physical channel. Therefore, having a contactless operation may increase customer confidence. 20% of US customers prefer contactless operations and e-documents. This can be effectively delivered through a CCM solution.
Adapting CCM solutions are cost-effective and can be tailored to your business needs.
CCM increases employee efficiency during this stressful time by providing them with the information they need for customers and offers empathetic customer support.
By the time the pandemic subsides the customers would have become comfortable with digital purchases. Adapting a smart CCM tool can counter the lost sales volumes in brick and mortar stores. The mobile, online and geo-spatial data will help optimize networks and Omni-channel sales. This can also create the process of a new purchase or order online and pick-up at the store models.
Interested to discuss more, please feel free to contact the author at ashish.bhalla@dbppl.com
Ashish has almost 30 years of industry experience in a wide range of business solutions primarily focusing on end-to-end customer experience management. He is the founder and CEO of Digital Business People (DBP), an omni-channel customer experience management company headquartered at Singapore with it’s development and delivery centers in India.